Every Day's a New Day
by writrsblk
Summary: Cuddy/OC fic. After the breakup with House, Cuddy tries to find her way back from the sorrow. Our strong HBIC is not about to go down w/the count ;
1. Chapter 1

Every Day's a New Day

**Welcome peoples! Well here's something new from me, a Cuddy/OC story…shocking I know haha! Well, in light of the recent turn of events on House I felt compelled to go this route. I'm tired of Emo House along with the fact that apparently he's the only person on this earth that can't EVER change even when he's got an amazing woman like Cuddy by his side. To all my Huddy readers…. please understand this is NOT a Huddy fic and I won't be jerking you around like other people *coughs* and although you will see House in this fic from time to time this is strictly Cuddy/OC story. So ….if your still licking your wounds after Monday's ep and not yet ready to move on to a Cuddy/OC fic….please turn back now. However, if you've read the warning label and still wish to continue….come on in! Oh, and reviews are always appreciated****J**

**Chapter 1 Day-One**

It had been nearly three months since Lisa Cuddy had ended her relationship with House. Three months since her heart had been ripped open so viciously she had nearly collapsed from the unrelenting pain, exhaustion and sorrow coursing through her veins after she and her sister Julia had made it back to her home on that day.

And if that had been all she had to endure, she would have been lucky. But true to form, House knew just where to poke a sharp stick. She had found out about the vicodin popping frenzy…and the hookers. She never thought someone could hurt her so much. Never thought she could become physically ill from the non-physical actions of another person.

She had wanted to die. Wanted to curl up in a ball inside of her bed and never come out. But….she had Rachel to consider and she would not let her daughter down….no matter what. No matter how incredibly heartbroken she was.

It had taken a good week before she was able to return to work at the hospital, more so from the heart wrenching sorrow infecting her body than the kidney biopsy she endured, which of course she had used as an excuse to buy herself a little more time.

But after that initial mourning period, she had put on her heart on a shelf and picked up her strong administrator face instead -determined to pick herself back up.

Of course anyone who really knew her would say she was only delaying an inevitable break down by bottling up the pain, however Lisa Cuddy was in no mood to take advice from anyone at that point and so any concerns would not have been listened to anyway.

She had been strong…_so strong_ during those first few weeks. Stronger than she had ever thought she could be at putting on a brave face around Julia so she would not suddenly turn tail and tell their Mother about what had happened. She had been even stronger for Rachel because the precious little girl deserved nothing but the best from her mother. And then, there was of course House…the man that had caused her an unbelievable amount of pain. Even in her grief she knew she would have to deal with _his feelings_, his depression, his addiction, opening her door up to Wilson when he came knocking, asking her to help him get House back on his feet when she was barely able to stand.

The first time they were face to face again she had to fight back her tears. Closing off her heart to him and standing her ground because she did deserve _more_. It was _that _serious, _that _solemn, _that_ grim. She _had_ to get over him for good or risk being as miserable as he was for the rest of her life.

Even in her pain she in some strange way she took comfort that House had Wilson…the never wavering friend who was addicted to helping those in need. Taking in his best friend like a on old woman takes in a stray dog in hopes that this time, the animal will lose its taste of the wild things in life that become its undoing.

Sitting behind her desk inside the hospital nearly three months later, Cuddy turned her chair to face the windows behind her, allowing herself to witness the amazing view of the gorgeous summer morning of early July just outside her office.

She had made this a habit now since the breakup with House. Made it apriority to stop and observe all of the beauty surrounding her at least once a day in hopes that it would help to heal the wound inside of her heart. Made a priority to linger in Rachel's radiant smile and the way her daughter's high pitched and bubbly laugh could move through the vast chasms in her soul, brining along with it that incredible ray of light that could not be denied by even the most hardened soul.

It was while the she was gazing out at the sunny day where the birds were serenading each other amongst the trees and shrubs of the hospital's landscape that Cuddy heard a knock on her door before it was violently opened a second later, causing the knob to bang against the wall beside it.

Of course it could only be one person.

"Need a brain biopsy for a patient!" House shouted, limping up to her desk before placing a consent form in front of her.

And so the tedious game of working with an ex lover began once more for Lisa Cuddy.

"Did you ask the family for consent?" She questioned, her eyes leaving his gaze as she reviewed the sheet in front of her.

It was still hard for her to look at him for too long as everything they had lost still came rushing towards her.

"Of course I did. They said no, but we both know family members of our patients are morons. So please sign the damn paper so I can get out of here and do my job." He responded matter-of-factly.

There was still a hint of anger inside of his voice. Controlled and carefully hidden within his sarcasm …..but it was there just the same.

She sighed while reading over the justification Chase had written on the paper. Same old House….same intolerable SOB…happy as a clam to be surrounded by the brick wall he loved to hide behind. He was of course still using vicodin, but had cut back to a level that left him functional enough in his job so she couldn't fire him. Even though she wasn't sure she _would _fire him after all he had put her through.

"Thinking about skipping out early from work today?" He asked her out of the blue as she grabbed fora pen on her desk and began signing the form.

She looked up at him and said nothing, too weary from their tragic journey to question him.

"I saw you looking out the window before I came in." He explained, pointing his cane towards the three panes of glass.

His mood had turned to that awkward school boy again as he attempted to take a step towards things of a more personal level.

"Here's the form. Go and do your biopsy." She replied flatly as her own wall went up.

His jaw clenched, obviously he didn't like her answer.

"You know sooner or later you're going to have to…." He started to say, leaning on his cane before their conversation was interrupted as the open door to her office was met with another knock.

"Doctor Lisa Cuddy?" A man's voice asked causing both of them to turn in his direction.

The man standing before them was tall, with a lean but muscular build, accented even more by the well tailored suit he was wearing. His dark brown hair had a slight wave to it even though it was cut short and cropped tight to his neck, His eyes were a deep shade of blue, resembling the cool waters of the Atlantic Ocean. His face, ruggedly handsome and currently wearing a warm smile.

Cuddy guessed the man was in his mid forties, his confidence coming through in his smile and the way he carried himself.

"So you've resorted to hiring a gigolo to fufill your sexual needs now that we're through?" House questioned to Cuddy after eyeing up the good looking man.

Cuddy pushed a breath of frustration out through her nose.

"You can go now." She informed House sharply, shoving the paper he had give her back into his hand.

House snatched it from her, giving her a glare_. He wanted her back_, wanted everything they once had together back. But… once more, she had put up her defenses, making him feel the sting of regret all over again.

"A word of warning buddy…" He then said to the stranger as he turned to face him.

"This one can go for hours so you better bring your gigolo A game." House ended, nodding over to Cuddy before limping past the man and towards the door.

Cuddy felt the chink in her armor over his callous words but moved forward anyway.

"I'm sorry." She quickly apologized to man, getting up from her desk and walking towards him just as House had slammed the door behind them.

"Must be hard having such a close relationship with your mental patients." The man joked back to her in a light hearted manner, seemingly not bothered in the least over House's strange behavior.

His comment made her smile. It had been a long time since she had smiled at work.

"Actually that mental patient is the most brilliant doctor in this hospital." She replied back to him while feeling a strange calmness suddenly come over her.

It was a odd but welcomed emotion none the less. Even though she was not quite sure of the cause of it just now.

The man smiled back at her.

"I've often heard brilliant people can be real jerks. Something about their ego cutting off the blood supply that leads to decency inside of their brains ." He countered as his eyes continued to take in the sight of the very attractive woman standing in front of him.

Listening to him speak, Cuddy could not help but study the man's features. He was incredible handsome, but …there was something more to him, something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

And then, it hit her…the confidence she had seen in the man was also combined with a subtle kind of ease. Making him the kind of person you wanted to be around because of how he made you feel about yourself.

But that was just silly, it was just her over active imagination that had been tried of dealing with sorrow and grief these past few months placing more emphasis on meeting this man than there should have been.

"I…..I'm sorry…I didn't get your name…." She started to say, pushes her thoughts aside.

"You need to stop apologizing." The man replied, his tone softening a bit.

Cuddy took in a breath, the ease at which he was speaking to her coming forth from him once more.

"By the way, I'm Kevin Bennet, I had called you earlier in the week about donating some money to your hospital after the excellent care my sister received here." He prompted to her, while offering his hand for her to shake.

Recognition instantly washed over Cuddy's face.

"Oh yes, I remember." She confirmed reaching out to take his hand in her own.

His palms were slightly rough, but still had a softness to them, making her wonder exactly what the man before her did for a living.

"I hope it's ok that I just stopped by instead of making an appointment. Things are kind of crazy at my company right now so I have to squeeze in time when I can to meet with people." He explained to her.

Cuddy took the opportunity to question him about his line of work.

"So, if you don't mind my asking…what do you doing for a living Mister…." She started to say before he let out a soft laugh, causing her to pause.

"You don't have to call me Mister Bennet, my name's Kevin." He inform her as their hands separated.

"I own a construction company that does work all across the tri state area." He went on to say.

Cuddy furrowed her brow for moment, her mind go over the information he had just told her. Ok, so he was a successful business man, fine…., he did indeed dress and look the part, however his hands had calluses on them which _could _mean that he still liked to get down into the trenches from time to time when it came to the physical labor aspect of his company.

For whatever reason, she kind of like that idea. So much so that it had unknowingly caused her to smile.

"Got a secret to share?" He asked her with interest, titling his head slightly.

As his words reached her, Cuddy felt the tug on the corners of her mouth and realized she had probably just been grinning at this man like some kind of fool.

"I'm sorry….it's been a crazy day." She replied, waving her hand in front of her as if to shoo her embarrassment away.

"Well at least you can smile about a crazy day instead of murdering you staff." Kevin pointed out to her with a mischievous expression upon his face, his smile drawn lazily across his mouth.

Good-looking _and _funny, Cuddy thought before immediately chastising herself for thinking such a thing.

_He's nice… and…. he made you laugh. So why do you feel so guilty? _Her mind challenged back to her.

"Listen Doctor Cuddy, I know I may be asking a lot but I'm kind of pressed for time today and I haven't eaten yet. So, would you mind if we discussed my contribution to your hospital over lunch?" Kevin asked her as his eyes continued to study her face.

There was something about this woman that had taken him completely by surprise. Her beauty as well as her personality and that something in her smile that he could not yet put his finger on, nudging him into asking her to lunch so he could stay within her presence for just a little longer.

His offer stunned Cuddy for a moment. Her lips ready to tell him about how much work she had to do. About how many things needed her attention, but then, as her mouth opened something inside of her took over.

"That's sounds like a great idea." She replied softly, suddenly coming to the realization that spending a few minutes alone with Kevin Bennet inside of her office just now had left her feeling more relaxed and at ease with herself than she had been in a very long time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi Everyone! I actually got another chapter done earlier than I had expected so I'm posting it now. I also wanted to say thanks for the reviews! I was a little nervous about posting a Cuddy/OC story, not sure if anyone would be into it…but you guys are GREAT! Ok, now it's chapter time ;)**

**Chapter 2**

Cuddy was about twenty or so feet away from the hospital cafeteria when she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks.

"Everything ok?" Kevin asked her with concern before his eyes followed her gaze towards the view inside of the cafeteria.

Standing at the service line of cafeteria was the same man that had been in her office earlier. The one Lisa had told him was a docto and who was now accompanied by another man with dark brown hair and a friendly face, wearing a white lab coat.

"Everything's fine." Cuddy replied, getting ready to start walking towards the cafeteria again even though the sight of House had set off a silent alarm inside of her.

She knew as soon as House spotted them it would bring nothing but trouble. As he would, no doubt, walk up to them at some point, either while they were in line at the counter or after they had taken a seat inside the cafeteria. His sarcasm sharpened and pointed directly at her as the presence of her with another man would bring out the worst in him, even if they were merely discussing business.

"Listen, would you like to go somewhere else for lunch?" Kevin questioned to her after seeing the worry that had suddenly spread across her face.

Cuddy shook her head, "No, you're pressed for time, besides the cafeteria here is fine." She assured him just as House turned, spotting them both.

"I'm sure the cafeteria here is fine, but _you_ however don't seem fine about eating in there. In fact….. right now it seems like that cafeteria is last place on earth you want to be." Kevin stressed to her again with concern as their eyes locked.

It was obvious to him that the doctor leaning heavily on his cane inside the cafeteria and currently glaring outat them had caused the woman standing before him a great amount of pain, her face unable to hide the stress at the thought of coming face to face with him again.

Cuddy swallowed hard, embarrassed and ashamed that her reaction to seeing House had been so transparent to this man.

_She needed to be stronger than this._

"No, really…. it's ok. I don't…" She started to say while feeling the heat of House's gaze upon her.

With a conscious and deliberate action, Kevin took a step in front of Cuddy, effectively blocking her from House's view and watching her grey eyes fill with surprise as they moved up to meet his face.

"Tell me something Dr. Cuddy, how long has it been since you've had a decent plate of pasta? You know the kind of freshly made pasta that so tender you're nearly drooling when it comes to the table? With scratch made Mariana on top of it filled with vine ripened tomatoes that makes the sauce slightly sweet yet savory at the same time?"

Cuddy looked up at him stunned. "I…excuse me?" She stuttered, feeling her breath catch in her throat as reality...unexpectedly and without warning hit her square in the chest.

The man before had done something _truly amazing, __s_eeing how upset she was and performing an act of chivalry...however small it may have been in her honor…which was something she had not experienced in a quite a long time.

Kevin smiled down at her, struck once more by her beauty but also taken totally aback that she truly was surprised another person actually cared about her well being and how their current situation was effecting her. It was sad and intriguing at the same time.

He felt like he should reach out to her and touch her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but hesitated. She was a strong woman. He could tell that in the way she had dealt with the doctor inside her office earlier. However, even the strongest of people have times in their life that cause them to become battle weary. He knew this from his own experiences in life.

"Listen Doctor Cuddy, I know guy's can be jerks at times. But instead of worrying about what that jerk inside the cafeteria is going to do or say to you when we go inside, I say we cut the jerkiness out of the equation and go enjoy a nice lunch." He proposed to her again, watching her with interest as she let out a short sigh, seemingly grounding herself again.

"Ok." She agreed with a nod, feeling the tension that had been swelling inside of her at the sight of House just a few moments ago start to recede like waves of dying tide.

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"This place is really nice." Cuddy commented over to Kevin while taking in the view of the cozy Italian restaurant situated on the outskirts of Princeton that he had taken her to.

They had opted to dine outside where the patio of the dining area was paved with worn red bricks that led to each separate table. Among the laid brickwork were numerous small trees, flowers and shrubs in large terracotta planters. There were also stained glass figurines on wrought on stakes that captured the afternoon sun's rays, creating specks of colored lights that spilled across the bricks at their feet.

Their table was made out of wrought iron as well as was their chairs, the seating outside relaxing and intimate at the same time as the twelve or so tables were spaced amply apart with the scenery creating a nice border between them.

"I'm glad you like it, and just wait until you taste the food." Kevin replied back to her before picking up his menu.

Shortly after being seated Kevin had take off his suit jacket, hanging it on the back of his chair before rolling up the sleeves on his white, pressed dress shirt. He then proceeded undo the top two buttons on his shirt, loosening his tie and remove it before stuffing it into the right pocket of his suit jacket while telling her that there was only so much of a price he was willing to pay for the pasta gods.

His confession had made her laugh and again confirmed to her that getting away from the hospital to spend time with this man was probably the best decision she had made today.

Once more Cuddy noticed how at ease within himself this man was; glancing over at him from time to time as he absentmindedly rubbed his jaw as his eyes traveled down the menu.

"So about your donation to the hospital?" She inquired, pulling herself back to the business at hand and crossing her legs under the table as she picked up her own menu.

He glanced up at her and smirked. She was wearing a light pink summer dress with a v neck opening and looked like a piece of heaven here on earth..

"Oh, so it's all business with you Doctor Cuddy?" He asked her with a smile.

"Call me Lisa." She responded back to him, as their surroundings as well as his casual laid back attitude were now easing away even more of her stress.

He cocked his head. "Hmm….. now you've really got me confused?" He countered, placing the menu back down on the table.

She rolled her eyes at him, rather enjoying the conversation they were having. "There's nothing to be confused about. You were nice to me today at the hospital when I was obviously being _anything_ but professional." She pointed out to him, of course referencing her behavior towards House.

He let out a soft laugh, leaning closer to her from across the table. "You should always be treated nicely...and if flirting with me is considered unprofessional….." He began to tease, even though he knew what she had meant by her pervious comment.

"_I wasn't flirting_." She interrupted quickly while straightening up a bit in her chair, however she was unable to hide the smirk on her face.

He took a moment to look at her, taking everything in about the alluring beauty seated across the table from him before leaning back in his chair.

"You're truly are one interesting woman Lisa Cuddy." He then remarked as a warm breeze passed by the both of them.

The soft kiss of summer air had caused a few strands of her hair to fall across her face and Cuddy quickly pushed them aside.

"How long did it take you to come up with that line?" She asked him suspiciously and with an arched eyebrow, having been told many similar lines in her past by men who wanted nothing more than a romp in the hay with her.

"About thirty seconds after we met." He told her with a small nod, followed by as soft laughter that told her he was indeed telling the truth.

"You thought I was interesting the moment you met me?" She questioned, her eyebrows now wrinkled in disbelief.

"No." He responded to her before continuing.

"I said I thought you were interesting _thirty seconds_ after we met." He clarified, watching as her eyes continued to stare back at him with doubt.

"However, for the first twenty nine seconds... I just thought about how beautiful you are."

Cuddy suddenly found herself at a loss for words as his deep blue eyes continued to stare into hers, silently letting he know he had meant every word he has spoken to her.

Thankfully at that moment, her cell phone that she had placed on the table began to vibrate.

They both looked down at it together.

"I should take this." She said to him, happy to have the reprieve as her heart was still reeling from such an honest and flattering compliment.

He nodded to her in understanding before taking out his own phone from his suit jacket.

"Cuddy." She answered, glancing over at Kevin as he began to text on his phone while she listening to the voice on the other end of the line.

"Dr. Cuddy I hate to bother you at lunch, but Dr. House isn't here for his clinic duty and we've got a line of patients waiting to be seen." The charge nurse at the front desk informed her.

Cuddy let out a sigh of frustration. "Call Jacobs and see if he can cover." She instructed glancing over at Kevin once more as he finished up his text and placed his cell phone on the table.

He then flagged down the waiter, asking for a bottle of wine and some appetizers to be delivered as he waited for her to finish up with her phone call.

"This will be the second time this month we've had to ask him." The nurse reminded her.

"Jacobs owes me for getting his clinical trial approved." Cuddy informed the nurse while looking down at Kevin's cell phone he had placed on the table and seeing the display picture of two adorable little girls grinning up at her.

"Ok, will do. Have a nice lunch." The nurse replied back to her before hanging up.

Placing her phone down on the table as well Cuddy nodded over to Kevin's phone.

"Are those your kids?" She asked him with a small smile, glancing down at the picture again.

"No, those are my sister's kids. The last time I was over there they were going through the pictures on my phone and told me they needed to get top billing." Kevin informed her with a grin as he picked up the phone, handing it to her.

"They're so cute." Cuddy remarked with another smile. "How old are they?"

"Emma is eight and Maddie is five." He answered, noticing how staring at the picture of his nieces had made her eyes light up in the most beautiful way.

"Do you have any kids?" He then asked her just as she gave the phone back to him.

Cuddy nodding, "A little girl named Rachel." She responded before picking up her own phone and pulling up a picture of her daughter on the screen.

She then handed the phone to him, feeling a slight flutter in her stomach as their fingers touched that she could not deny was nothing less then an instant attraction.

"Wow…she's really cute." Kevin said with a chuckle, staring down at the photo.

"Thank you. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me." Cuddy told him softly as her eyes traced the features of his face, seeing in his eyes that he was again telling her the truth.

He looked up at her, pausing for a moment before he spoke.

"If you don't mind my asking, is that doctor giving you such a hard time at the hospital Rachel's Father?"

Cuddy paused for moment as well before answering him.

"No, I adopted Rachel when she was an infant."

"But you_ were _in a relationship with him at some point?" He asked carefully, hoping it would not seem too intrusive but unable to hold himself back...especially not after the way his heart began to beat a little faster inside of his chest after their fingers had touched.

"We only dating for a few months, but I've known Dr. House for over twenty years." Cuddy explained, amazed at how comfortable she felt discussing such private issues with a complete stranger.

"I take it things didn't end well?" Kevin asked her with genuine concern, seeing a sadness being to fill her eyes.

"No, it didn't." Cuddy whispered, as her throat tightened.

_Dammit…she was not going to start crying in front of this man._

Immediately Kevin felt his heart sink. He shouldn't have asked her that. It wasn't right of him to do so. This wasn't what two strangers are supposed to talk about.

But... there was something about her...something inside of him that instantly felt a connection with this woman.

"You're going to be ok Lisa, it just takes time." He whispered back to her softly as second later, not knowing where the words had come from, but thankful they had came just the same as an effort to try and diminish the sadness in her eyes.

Cuddy bite down on her bottom lip, nodding her head at him as he offered her back the cell phone.

"Thanks." She responded with a soft and somewhat sad laugh. "You know… I feel like I should be paying you a fee for listening to me talk about my ex boyfriend during a business lunch." She then added, hoping that her behavior would not cost her the donation to the hospital or make him see her as nothing more than a hopeless woman with a broken heart.

"You don't owe me anything. We all go through his kind of stuff, Lisa." Kevin reassured her, shaking his head while easing back into his chair a bit.

"That's sweet of you to say." She answered, her eyes leaving him for the moment as the waiter approached their table once more.

The waiter placed their appetizers on the table before filing their wine glasses and taking their order for their entrees before walking away.

"You know Lis, I've been thinking, if you're really feeling guilty talking to me about your ex, the least you can do is take me out on Saturday and make it up to me." Kevin announced suddenly, watching with delight as her beautiful face filled with surprise once more.

"You're asking _me_ to ask _you_ out on a date?" Cuddy questioned to him with disbelief.

"I guess I am." Kevin responded back to her, giving her a quirky grin as he reached for his wine glass from the table.

Cuddy held back a her own smile, biting down on the inside of her bottom lip as the man seat across the table from her waited on her answer.

"Fine, it's a date." She conceded, suddenly feeling very good about herself as if she had been granted a breath of fresh air to clear out the cobwebs in her brain.

"But ...you have to pick where we're going." She added coolly, picking up her napkin from the table and placing it upon her lap.

"You drive a hard bargain. But I think I'm up for the challenge." Kevin responded, feeling at that moment that he was the luckiest man on earth.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Well, I'm back with another chapter ;) Once again thanks for the reviews. I'm really interested in what you guys think of the story because writing Cuddy/OC is new for me as well. Also I know some Huddies who have been reading while saying they are a little nervous about Cuddy/OC. Don't worry babies. I'm taking baby steps here and we'll all be ok. Also thanks to the House/OC reader for giving my story a try as well:)**

**Chapter 3**

The next day Cuddy was inside of her office, reading through an expense report when Wilson suddenly came barging in unannounced.

"Have you talked to House?" He asked her abruptly.

"Ummm….no?" She replied back with a puzzled expression, while, on instinct, her mind began to go through a quick list of reasons why Wilson thought she _should _be talking to House.

Was House trying to perform a risky procedure on a patient behind her back? Did he piss off another physician at this hospital who would be coming to see her right after Wilson left? Or…..did House once more slip back down the ladder with his vicodin abuse, pushing ot to the point where Wilson was once more concerned?

Wilson put his hands on his hips as he stood before her, taking in a breath before he spoke.

"Listen, Cuddy I came here to tell you that House is pretty upset over seeing you with that guy the other day." He confessed to her.

Cuddy furrowed her brow at him.

"House is upset over a business lunch I had with a potential donor?' She questioned with a hint of irritation in her voice.

"Apparently, House thinks there's more between the two of you then just business. Especially considering how you left the hospital with that man after you saw us in the cafeteria." Wilson pointed out.

"Unbelievable." Cuddy muttered under her breath, shaking her head before she continued.

"Now you listen Wilson, for your information, I left because I didn't want House to make an ass out of himself while embarrassing me in the process." She stated, currently in no mood to hear his concerns about House's feelings regarding _her _personal life right now.

"So then there's nothing to be worried about?" Wilson pushed, needing to make sure that House was indeed overacting as usual.

As soon as his words were spoken, Cuddy felt something snap inside of her as three months of unbearable sorrow and grief suddenly turned the corner towards anger.

_How could he stand there and ask her such a question? _

_How dare House try and pull this shit after all that he had put her through?_

"Wilson…. right now I could give a _rat as_s about how House feels." She uttered, clenching her jaw as she got up from her desk, headed straight towards the oncologist.

"Lisa…I'm just trying…." Wilson started to say while raising his hands up to her in attempt to difuse the situation.

"Shut up Wilson!" She snapped at him, feeling every ounce of anger that had been bottled up inside of her since the breakup with House start to rise to the surface as she spoke once more.

"I'm done with this conversation and... since I'm assuming you've got some cancer patients waiting to see you ….I'd say you're done with this conversation as well." She added sternly, pointing towards the door of her office as her heart beat wildly inside of her chest.

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"She flipped out on me! I mean really flipped out. I don't think I've ever seen her that mad." Wilson exclaimed to House a few minutes later when they met up on the roof of the hospital.

"So, then she _is_ seeing this guy socially." House muttered back to him as he looked up at the summer sky above them, rubbing his thigh as a sudden, drilling pain in his leg came up out of nowhere.

"I didn't say that." Wilson responded quickly.

House paused, fishing his pill bottle out of his suit jacket before speaking.

"You didn't have to. I know Cuddy. And she hasn't been angry since she broke things off with me three months ago. Oh she's been sad and depressed and even as cold as the North Pole when it comes to dealing with me. But, she's never been angry because her guilt over screwing me over is what's kept her from moving on. But now...she's questioning that. Which is why she got so angry after you asked her about that jerk in her office the other day." House went on to explain before dry swallowing a vicodin.

Wilson stared at him for a moment. "You really believe that?" He asked with disbelief.

House nodded. "Yeah, I do. Which means I'm gonna make sure Cuddy realizes that the fairy tale she's looking for is just a load a crap she was told as a kid." He spat out bitterly.

"House, I know you still love her, but maybe you should just let Cuddy alone for right now." Wilson tried reasoning to his friend.

House shot him a glare. "Like hell I will. In spite of what you might think …..I'm doing this for her own good."

Wilson gave him a doubtful glance, while of course knowing there was _no way in hell _he was going to talk House out of whatever he was already planning for Cuddy.

"Fine, I only hope this doesn't end up blow up in your face." He replied in a defeated tone watching as House placed his vicodin bottle back into his suite jacket pocket.

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Cuddy was still angry as she reached for the keys inside her desk door, still fuming over that audacity that Wilson had by coming into her office and basically acting as House's whipping boy.

Of course, it was _just_ like House to manipulate Wilson into waiting until a few minutes ago to come and see her. The fact that she had stayed until seven tonight after coming it at seven this morning, of course not lost on him as she knew he tracked her comings and goings as well as also knowing she would be exhausted after such a long day. But of course, that was no concern of House's as he wanted to make sure she would start off her weekend on a sour note.

"Damn him." Cuddy whispered under her breath just as her cell phone began to ring.

Glancing down at the caller ID she felt a small current of excitement move past her anger.

It was Kevin calling her.

"Hello." She answered after picking the phone up from her desk.

"Hey gorgeous." Kevin replied in an soft tone.

Cuddy felt her breath catch in her throat.

His voice had sounded _so sincere_, like he already was in fact her lover, like he had been her lover for years.

"Hello?" Kevin questioned after not having heard a response from her.

Regaining her composure, Cuddy spoke.

"You don't have to say things like that to me." She replied as her mind warned of the dangers in putting your trust in people when it usually led to disappointment.

This time it was Kevin who paused on the other end of the line before responding.

"So then you're saying you want me to lie and not tell you what I think of you?" He challenged back to her in a way that was anything but threatening, however was still sincerely directed towards the issue she had with him giving her a compliment.

"No…it's just. It's just that most people don't really talk to each other that way." Cuddy replied, the thumb of her right hand that was holding onto her briefcase running roughly over the leather bound handle in its grasp.

Kevin let out a sigh. "Well then, I feel sorry for those kind of people who never tell each other nice things about how the feel about each other." He replied, noticing just now while talking to her that there had been a weariness to her tone.

Again Cuddy was at a loss for words, not sure of how to respond at first.

"Kevin….I'm….I'm just being realistic." She finally told him as every bad relationship she had experienced in her past suddenly came to haunt her.

"Lisa….. is everything ok with you?" Kevin asked as his blue eyes looked out through the windshield of the his red pickup truck that was parked on top of a hill and at the site of his companies latest project.

The acres of land before him would soon be dotted with a few high end homes nestled within the rolling hill of the suburbs. The start of the project, only a few hours old, as was evidence by the newly plowed road of compacted clay. The rest of the untouched landscape was marked with small wooden stake, topped with bright orange fluorescent flags, marking where the future homes would be located. There was also painted lines on the tall grass of the land in shades of green, blue and yellow, marking where power lines, gas pipes and water mains would be buried into the ground in the upcoming days.

"Listen Kevin, I' ve been thinking and I really need to cancel our date on Saturday. I have a ton of work that I need to get done over the weekend and I aslo need to spend some time with Rachel." Cuddy responded back to him, as doubt crept into her mind, telling her that maybe it had been too soon to try and start relationship with another man.

At hearing her words, Kevin took in a deep breath, staring out at the evening sun as it threatened to dip behind the horizon.

"Lisa, I can understand if you have a lot of work to do and of course spending time with Rachel. But please don't cancel this date because of what may have happened to you in your past when it came to the men in your life espeically with the last man you trusted. Spending time with you yesterday was something I really enjoyed and I think I can safely say that you enjoyed yourself too. I'm not asking you for anything more than some of your time because I really do think you're an amazing woman. Besides…. considering I haven't been out on a date in over three years I really don't think you want to live with crushing my ego like that." He told her honestly, while of course adding the bit at the end in hopes of making her smile, even if it was the truth.

Listening to him, Cuddy bit down on her bottom lip.

Kevin's voice was filled with nothing but sincerity and good intentions. His words spoken from the heart - without fear of how she would interpret them.

"You really haven't been on a date in over three years?" She questioned back to him while loosening her death grip on the briefcase.

A small smile of relief crept over Kevin's face. "I'm telling you the truth. In fact it's been so long since I've been on a date my co-workers have started calling me Monk…and not because I remind them of that guy on TV who solves crimes." He confessed to her with a soft chuckle.

Cuddy laughed softly as well. "That was pretty lame joke." She teased back as a vision of the handsome man currently talking to her on the phone crept softly into her mind, the honesty she had seen in his blue eyes reminding her that there were indded times in her past where taking a chance had led to some pretty incredible things.

"See Lisa, this is _exactly _why you _need _to go out with me. Otherwise I'll be dangerously close to becoming socially inept at dealing with the fairer sex." Kevin informed her, easing back into the seat of the pick up truck while taking in the sweet sound of her voice, now that it had rid itself of its weariness.

"Ok…..ok I get you're point. Just make sure you bring it on Saturday or I'll start calling you Monk." She told hm with another small laugh.

"That was a pretty lame joke." He teased back to her.

They had talked for a few more minutes after that, with Kevin asking how her day went before she asked him the same. For the time being she had left out the part about Wilson coming to her office, deciding that she was now going to try her damdest to leave Wilson _and _more importantly House behind her in her venture to reach out to this man and see if he was indeed all that she hoped he would be.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok guys…here's another chapter. Hope you enjoy it.**

**Chapter 4**

On Saturday morning, Cuddy got up at 6am, completing her morning yoga, taking a shower and even managing to throw some laundry into the washer before Rachel got up.

Once her daughter did rise, Cuddy made Rachel a plate of scrambled eggs, which had become a favorite of the little girl. Of course Cuddy had also snuck in a slice of whole wheat toast on the plate, spreading some strawberry preserves on top of it in order to make the bread more palatable for Rachel's young taste buds.

During the rest of the morning, Cuddy had gotten Rachel dressed, singing to her daughter as she brushed her hair before putting it up in a ponytail. The two of them then went downstairs and played on the floor for awhile with Rachel's toys as Cuddy was filled with joy over how vivid of an imagination her little girl had.

As morning stretched into early afternoon they wound up laying on the couch together, watching Dora the Explorer until close to two pm when Rachel fell asleep.

Carefully easing her way off of the couch, Cuddy placed a blanket over her sleeping daughter, knowing she would have about an hour to herself until Rachel would awaken once more.

As she walked into the kitchen to get a drink, Cuddy started thinking about her date with Kevin later that evening, feeling that little flutter inside her stomach return when recalling the sound of his voice and the way his smile made her feel so much better about herself when she was around him.

A half an hour later she was still thinking about him, wondering where he planned on taking her tonight. Thinking about calling him before Rachel woke up in hopes of getting a clue of how she should dress for the evening.

Now standing inside of her bedroom, Cuddy couldn't help but smile over her anticipation, reaching for her cell phone on the night stand as the need to hear Kevin's voice again was now turning into the sweetest kind of ache.

"Mommy!" Rachel suddenly yelled, obviously now awake from her nap.

"I'm coming honey." Cuddy yelled back, looking down at the phone and deciding to tend to Rachel first before trying to call Kevin.

"Mommy! Hurry! There's a waterfall down in the basement!" The girl then shouted from the kitchen just as Cuddy crossed the threshold of her bedroom.

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At that same time and on the outskirts of Princeton, Kevin Bennet was standing on the backyard deck of his home, surveying his five acre wooded property as another glorious summer day was in full bloom.

There were so many projects he needed to conquer this summer. His mind running through all of them as the birds sang cheerfully to each other through the array of pines, oak and cherry trees that speckled the landscape. After thinking things through for a moment he finally decided that planting some apple and pears trees in a small meadow just off in the distance would be the first thing he tackled on his mental list, making plans to go to the nursery tomorrow and pick up a few specimens.

Earlier today he had awoke at 6am, unable to sleep. Feeling that good kind of nervous energy he thrived on.

He had quickly gotten out of bed, pulling on a white t-shirt and blue shorts before reaching for a pair socks and making his way down to the living room. After putting on his sneakers he set off for a five mile run.

He loved running and had been doing it since he had been a junior in college.

The day that greeted him this morning was thick with smell of pine trees as he listened to the sound of his breathing. His feet falling into a steady rhythm as his sneakers made contact with the macadam beneath them.

It was about a half a mile into his run when Kevin realized he had been smiling the entire time. His mind already knowing the cause of his happiness as it had been playing with thoughts of Lisa Cuddy ever since he had gotten up this morning.

He simply could not wait to see her again. The idea of spending time with the amazing woman who made his heart skip a beat whenever she flashed him that dazzling smile, accompanied by her full laugh, lifting his spirits higher with each step he took.

The route he chosen to run that day was also taking him higher and higher, up into the mountains and to a place where the trees began to outnumber the houses. He loved the outdoors, loved nature and everything it had to offer. The trees, birds and all of the wildlife around him sure to ease the worries in his mind. The breathtaking beauty of nature, somewhere he could always escape to whenever his soul had taken a beating from the more ferocious aspects of life.

As he reached the peak of the mountaintop that morning...…. he felt an old and painful memory running up close behind him, taking him by surprise.

His guard had not been as keen as it once was as it had been years since he had beaten this particular demon. It's presence nearly breaking him all those years ago when he had only been a young man of twenty.

Before it could gain on him any further, Kevin commanded his legs to run faster, his thigh muscles burning as he pushed them to the brink, until he was gasping for air, until he eventually had to stop, or ...risk passing out from the sudden and wild burst of exertion.

But…he had made it. He had kept that awful memory in the past by using the sound of Lisa's voice along with the beating of his own heart to chase it back down into that awful place where it belonged, too close to happiness once more after all of these years to let it sink its teeth into him again.

Now standing in the back yard of his home, Kevin's thoughts turned away from his run this morning and back towards Lisa Cuddy, wondering what kind of flowers she liked and if he should bring her some for their date, before his thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone.

"Hi Lisa." He said with a smile after retrieving the cell phone from the front pocket of his jeans.

"Listen Kevin, I know you're probably going to think I'm lying but…well…a pipe burst in my basement a few minutes ago and I've got one hell of mess on my hands. I've shut off the water and called the plumber but he said it's going to be a couple of hours before he gets here. I'm so sorry but I think I'm going to have to cancel our date tonight." Cuddy informed him with regret as she herself was in fact really looking forward to the date as well.

"Cancel the plumber and give me your address." Kevin replied back to her without hesitation.

"You know how do plumbing?" Cuddy questioned with surprise.

Kevin smiled, rather liking the way the pitch of her voice had lifted with her inquiry. "Believe it or not Lisa, I actually _worked_ my way up the corporate ladder of the construction world instead of sleeping my way to the top." He told her, trying to make his voice sound as serious as possible.

Cuddy laughed. "And here I thought you were just another pretty face." She commented back to him with a smirk.

"I'll have you know _I am not _just a piece of meat! In fact I have the smarts real good. So just remember to keep your hands to yourself when I come over." He joked back to her with a chuckle.

Cuddy shook her head, amused with his little game. "Just shut up for a minute so I can give you my address." She told him, rolling her eyes as the smile on her face grew even wider.

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"Mommy, when is that man coming to fix the basement?" Rachel asked about twenty five minutes later while standing inside the kitchen with her mother.

"Soon honey, but for right now let's go back downstairs and clean up a little bit more." Cuddy replied, drying her hands on a towel just as there was a knock on her front door.

"He's here Mommy! Let's go!" Rachel exclaimed, taking hold of one of Cuddy's hands and practically dragging her down the hallway.

"I swear I don't know where you get all of your energy." Cuddy commented down to her daughter before she reached out with her free hand, twisting the knob to the front door.

"Hi." Kevin said to her, taken back for a moment by the sight of her standing in the doorway.

Cuddy was dressed in a white tank top with a pink sports bra underneath it and wearing soft cotton pink shorts that showed off her luxuriously toned legs. Her dark hair had been pulled up into a ponytail, her face void of any makeup, revealing a new depth of her beauty to him. The curves on her body, outlined in the soft fabric she was wearing, the kind of thing that stirs something deep within a man, coming from his most primitive side.

Subconsciously, Kevin moved his hand up to his face, rubbing two of his fingers over his lips….just in case he was in fact drooling over the mouthwatering vision before him.

"Hi." Cuddy said back to him softly, feeling her heat begin to race in the best kind of way.

She knew in that moment she had been holding back her physical attraction to this man. Her eyes now tracing his tall and well built frame, loving the way his jeans fit over his long legs, sensing the power that was harnessed in the span of his narrow but powerful hips, scanning over the broadness in his chest that was wrapped in a light blue t-shirt and feeling a shiver run down her spine when their eyes connected once more.

"Look's like I got here just in time." Kevin said, leaning closer to her before wiping away a small smudge of dirt from the side of her cheek with his thumb.

Her skin was _so _incredibly soft and he wanted to kiss her right then and there.

Cuddy held her breath for a moment, committing the unexpected and electric sensation of his touch to memory before a thread of anxiety sprung up from inside of her.

"Oh god, I must look like a total mess." She groaned a second later while tucking back a strand of her dark hair which had broken free from the confindes of her ponytail.

"You look amazing." Kevin whispered to her, leaning in a little closer to her and planting a small kiss on her cheek as his simply could not resist the energy currently coursing between them.

Cuddy gasped softly, taking in the scent of his cologne and locking eyes with him once more as he moved back from her a bit.

"Mommy?" Rachel said from beneath them both as the two adults above her were seemingly a million miles away from the toddler at the moment.

"Oh baby, I'm sorry…" Cuddy apologized, feeling a pang of guilt about being so wrapped up in the man standing outside of her door that she had temporarily forgotten Rachel was here with them.

"Kevin, this is my daughter Rachel" Cuddy then said while placing a loving hand on the top of the little girl's head.

"Hi Rachel." Kevin replied down to the toddler with a soft smile.

She was simply adorable. Her hair tied back in a ponytail just like her Mother's. Her big blue eyes and cute round face the kind of features that would bring a smile to anyone's face.

"Hi." Rachel answered back to him in a low, shy whisper before retreating behind her mother's legs.

Kevin looked back up at Cuddy, giving her a wink to assure her everything was ok before he addressed the little girl again.

"So Rachel, your Mommy was telling me you have a BIG mess in your basement. Do you think if I need some help cleaning it up you'll be able to pitch in?" He asked her while keeping his tone soft and reassuring.

"I don't know." Rachel said in the same low whisper as the child's eyes took in the sight of the tall man before her.

She remembered another man who was tall like him….and…. who she _thought_ was friend. He used to play with her but then he left one day and never came back.

Undaunted by the reaction of the shy little girl, Kevin squatted down to her level as Cuddy nervously bit down on her bottom lip, worried her daughter was reacting in such a way because she too had mourned the loss of House in their lives.

"Well, do you have any tools here to help me fix the pipe in the basement?" Kevin then asked Rachel with a gentle smile.

"No." Rachel answered back as her blue eyes looked directly into his.

"Well…..what if I told you have some tools inside of my truck that you can use to help me?" He questioned.

That immediately grabbed the girl's attention, her body moving out from behind Cuddy's legs as she took a step closer to him.

"You have tools for me to use?" She asked curiously.

Kevin nodded, still crouched in front of the toddler.

"I sure do. Wanna come see?" He asked her while offering the little girl his hand.

Rachel nodded, placing her small hand in his and sticking out her tongue a bit as she smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

Alright guys, I'm back with another chapter. Hope you enjoy and thanks again for reading and reviewing ;)

**Chapter 5**

"Ok Rachel, let's get you ready to help clean up the mess in the basement." Kevin said to the little girl, as they stood outside by his truck, with Cuddy standing beside them both as well.

"K." Rachel answered with a nod.

"Now... the first thing we need to do is get you some safety gear." Kevin informed her, reaching into the bed of the red pick truck and pulling out a large canvas duffle bag.

"What's a safety gear?" Rachel asked with a puzzled expression while looking up at him.

"It's equipment people wear so they don't get hurt while they're doing a job." Cuddy explained simply to her daughter.

Rachel's eyes widened with fear as she looked up at Cuddy. "I don't want to get hurt Mommy!" She chirped in a worried tone.

"Don't worry sweetie. I won't let you get hurt." Kevin assured the child in soft voice as he squatted down in front of her, placing the bag beside them in the driveway.

"K." Rachel answered back softly, however...still a little scared.

Seeing her hesitation, Kevin placed his hand on one of Rachel's small shoulder. "Rachel…I _promise_ I would never let you do anything that would end up hurting you." He reassured her once more. "Besides you know your Mommy would kick my butt if I let anything bad happen to you. Right?" He then prompted to her with grin.

Rachel giggled at his question. "Mommy _would_ kick your butt." She agreed with a nod while grinning up at Cuddy.

From above them both, Cuddy let out a soft laugh, but deep inside of her heart... she felt a strange ache, caused by how genuinely sweet this man was being to her daughter, for no other reason than to soothe away the girl's fears.

It was something that she prayed would happen with House when they had been together. However, she never pushed it. Giving him time to see for himself how incredible her daughter truly was. Hoping that in time he too would succumb to the amazing way Rachel made her feel everyday of her life.

But sadly, in the end and just before she had broken things off with him, Cuddy knew that although House _did_ find some sort of connection with Rachel, he would never let himself fully surrender his heart to her child.

"Ok Rachel, now that we know you're not going to be scared, are you ready to see what I brought of you?" Kevin asked the toddler.

"Yes." Rachel answered with a small smile and a nod.

"Good girl." Kevin replied softly, nodding back to her.

He then turned sideways a bit in his crouching stance to unzip the bag lying next to him, making sure to keep the contents inside the bag hidden from Rachel's view.

"Alright, well ...first things first. Which means anyone who is going to be my helper needs to protect their head." Kevin told Cuddy's daughter, turning back around to face Rachel and placing a child's size, pink plastic hardhat on top o her head.

Rachel gasped in delight, her small hands immediately going up to feel the hat he had put there.

"Mommy…look! Look at my hat Mommy!" She then exclaimed, turning around to face Cuddy.

"Wow! That looks like a very special hat that only big girls get to wear." Cuddy told her daughter with an impressed voice, while wondering how on earth Kevin would have such an item in the back of his truck.

Seeing the puzzled expression on her face, Kevin spoke up.

"My nieces and nephews are always wanting to go with me on job sites to see my latest projects. And when I found out one of my vendors had a line of children's construction gear, I thought it would be a good idea to have them on hand. The hardhats are actually manufactured very closely to what my crew wears….and in fact, it's even better when it comes to protecting the kids." Kevin explained before looking backdown at Cuddy's daughter.

"You see, Rachel's hardhat has an additional thick layer of foam protecting her head, along with the suspension system inside of it." He went on to say before knocking on the top of the hardhat the child was wearing.

Rachel giggled with delight. "Do it again!" She squealed while clappnig her hands.

"Knock, knock…..is Rachel there?" Kevin replied in a deep voice before chuckling.

"I'm here!" Rachel answered in a sing song voice as her hands once more went to the top of the little pink hardhat.

"Ok, Rachel…now that you've got your hardhat, you need some tools." Kevin told her, reaching back into the canvas back and pulling out a child sized pink leather tool belt.

The loops on the sides of the belt had a small rubber hammer, a rubber hand saw, a plastic but realistic looking measuring tap, that did in fact measure up to three feet and a small level.

Again Rachel gasped, staring at the tool belt in wonder. "What are all those things?" She asked, pointing to the belt.

"Do you want me to put your tool belt on you first before I explain them to you?" Kevin questioned to her with a wide grin, thrilled that the little girl had been so surprised by what he had given to her.

"Ah huh." Was all Rachel managed to say as her eyes then watched his every move, the little girl currently mesmerized by the man in front of her who made her laugh and smile.

"So you have nieces _and_ nephews?" Cuddy asked Kevin with interest while watching him place the tool belt around her daughter's waist.

Kevin nodded. "I've got three sisters and two brothers. All of whom are married and seem to be in competition with each other when it comes to procreation. Of course _my mom_ couldn't be happier about that." He informed her with a grin.

"I assume you're mother is a saint by now for dealing with such a large brood?" Cuddy remarked back to him with a slight smirk.

At the mention of his Mother, the expression on Kevin's face changed, softening as a grateful smile moved over is face. "I'm lucky to have someone as special as my Mom in my life. In fact... I don't know where I'd be without her." He confessed to her in a reverent tone, that spoke of how much he treasured the woman in his life.

Cuddy kept her eyes focused on him as her hands when down to rest on Rachel's shoulders. Her little girl was currently fiddling with the tools on her newly acquired belt.

"It's nice that you speak so highly of your Mother." She whispered back to him, feeling an odd sense of loss that she couldn't repeat the same touching words when it came to her own mother.

Once more, Kevin saw a suddenly sadness creep up into her eyes, causing him to reach up and touch one of her hands resting on Rachel's shoulder's.

"Lisa, I know we just met, but ….well…..if you ever want to talk about anything. I am a pretty good listener." He offered before removing his hand from hers, getting up to a standing position once more.

He had hope he didn't cross the line with her just now, as the last thing he wanted to do was make her feel uncomfortable by pushing too hard. But ...for every minute he was spending with Lisa now, he was finding himself unable to hold back when it came to the need to comfort her.

Maybe it was because he finally had found someone who seemed to be trying to find their way back into the light of this world just as he was. Her sadness revealing to him that although she did come out to see the sun every now then, Lisa could only bask in its glory for so long before retreating. Fearing that the rain and the thunder would soon find her, snuffing out whatever fire still remained inside of her.

It's was obvious to him the fire that burned inside Lisa Cuddy's heart was for her daughter Rachel, as the lingering sadness in her eyes told of a person content on living for someone else while placing her own needs aside.

Cuddy felt her chest tighten at the words Kevin had spoken to her. His deep blue eyes tentatively reaching towards her as the seconds ticked by them, silently telling her it was _ok_ to open up to him. Teeling her...he meant her no harm and that she _could_ feel safe with him.

"I'm okay, Kevin. Really….it's nothing." She said dismissively as a vein of fear crept up inside her, preventing her from taking a change in believing again.

"Mommy, can we fix the basement with Kevin now?" Rachel pleaded from beneath them both, unaware of the shaky steps the two adults above her had been trying to take towards each other.

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Walking down into Cuddy's basement, Kevin was amazed to see how much work she had done on her own before he arrived here.

The floor had already been mopped clean of all of the overflowing water and two fans were now blowing on the damp concrete.

Cuddy had also wiped down the dryer, washing machine and hot water tank, which was evident to him by the way the light was gleaming off their baked enamel surfaces. In addition, she had also picked up all the boxes and plastic containers from the floor, placing them out of the way of the streaming water and beside two high metal shelves.

He figured she was probably planning on going through them later on to see if anything had been damaged, especially the cardboard boxes that were soaked on the bottom from the water.

"The pipe's right over here." Cuddy told him, leading the way as Rachel tagged along beside her.

Moving next to her to get a look at the pipe, Kevin's arm brushed up against hers. Again the sensation of her soft skin was almost more than he could bare and he took a step back from her.

"I'll have to go back up to the truck and get a section of pipe to replace this one." He informed her while looking into her cool gray eyes one more that were still lingering in her sadness.

She was having doubts about him. He could tell by the way she was having a hard time keeping her eyes focused on him, but he didn't want to push her right now, knowing that the most important thing right now was to keep showing her that he truly did care about her _and _wanted to get to know her better.

"Ok." Cuddy responded, feeling confused over her obvious attraction to this man being muddled with her sudden uneasiness of putting any sort of faith in the fact that Kevin really was as kind and genuinely interested in her as he seemed to be.

"Can I come?" Rachel asked him with a hopeful expression.

"Sure." Kevin asked, taking her hand as they two of them ascended the stairs.

Down in the basement, Cuddy ran her fingers over the sliver chain she was wearing, her mind turning over the countless thoughts now running through her head regarding Kevin Bennet.

Now that she finally allowed herself to see all the he had to offer to her, she could not help but feel a sense of dread rising up inside of her.

Kevin was a _very _handsome man. The kind of man who would have women crawling over each other just to be near him. And yet…..he had told her that he had not been out on a date _in over three years. _ He was also amazingly good at interacting with Rachel, which again caused the dread inside of her to swell.

What if he was just fooling into thinking he adored children and lying about beind alone for three years? Purposely brining up nieces and nephews to appease her and win his way into her bed.

"We're back!" Rachel announced, holding onto Kevin's hand once more as they made their way down into the basement.

Cuddy smiled over at her daughter before glancing over a Kevin. His face wearing a smile as well as he let go of Rachel's hand.

"Ok, I think I've got everything I need." He told her while holding onto three foot length of plastic pipe along with as small metal bottle of glue that he would use to adhere the new section of pipe to the existing ones in the basement plumbing.

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A little over an hour later, Kevin…along with Rachel's help of course, had fixed the pipe in the basement. The man that had suddenly come into Cuddy's life, now standing in her kitchen and getting to leave out of the door behind him.

"I'll pick you up at seven. If that's ok?" He asked her as Rachel had run off into the living room for the moment.

"Seven would be great." Cuddy agreed, deciding that before she gave into her fears, she was going in fact going to give this man a chance.

"Great, I'll see you then." Kevin responded, wanting to kiss her on the cheek once more, however deciding not to until he could see the doubt that had been lingering in her eyes was gone.

Cuddy nodded and watched him leave, telling herself that tonight she was going to ask Kevin all the questions plaguing her mind. Hopefully finding that she was wrong and worrying about nothing as he brought out a longing within her that made her want to believe again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Ok guys, this next chapter is a little bit short but I decided to post it anyway because it sounds like it's going to be a GOREGOUS weekend and I don't know how much writing I'll get done during the next few days. Hope you enjoy it ;)**

**Chapter 6**

Standing in front of the mirror inside of her bedroom, Cuddy smoothed out the fabric of the lilac colored summer dress she was wearing with the palms of her hands, checking her reflection as her stomach was turning in knots.

The sundress she was wearing had a cross over neckline with an empire bodice. The hem of the dress, falling just below her knees, her arms and shoulders exposed up until where the straps of the dress rested on her delicate skin.

On her feet, she wore matching light purple sandals, her toes done up with a French pedicure that matched her fingernails.

Studying her image in the mirror she nodded. The outfit _should _work for tonight as the dress was combination of casual, mixed with subtle sophistication.

Besides...this was the fifth outfit she had tried on in a matter of twenty minutes as she had been so focused on trying to figure out if Kevin Bennet was all that he seemed, she had forgotten to ask him where he was taking her tonight.

Thankfully, her sister Julia had come earlier to pick up Rachel so her daughter would not have to see her mother in such a frantic state.

"_Good luck Lisa, from what you've told me, Kevin sounds like a really nice guy." Julia had said, kissing her cheek before she and Rachel, who was still wearing her pink hardhat headed out the front door._

"Ok, you're going to be_ just fine_."Cuddy whispered to herself while standing alone in her bedroom, letting out a deep breath to try and calm her nerves.

A second later there was a knock on the door, causing her jump.

"_You're going to be ok." _Cuddy whispered to herself once more, looking at her reflection in the mirror one last time before leaving the room.

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Opening up the front door, Cuddy took in a sharp breath, her eyes scanning over every inch of the man standing at her doorstep.

Kevin was wearing a pair of tan Khakis, dark brown loafers, and a white cotton dress shirt. The shirt was unbuttoned to just above his sternum, a few short dark hairs on his chest visible to her as she bit down on her bottom lip. In his right hand was a bouquet of dark purple calla lilies.

He was truly a dream standing in the frame of her doorway...and she swore she had _never_ seen a man more comfortable in his own skin than Kevin Bennet had been in that very moment. The aura he was giving off, like a warm summer day with a hint of seduction in the air.

"Wow…Lisa. You…you looking incredible." Kevin whispered to her before she had a chance to speak.

He had nearly fallen over when she opened up the door for him, the vision of her in _that _dress stirring up feelings inside of his heart that he thought had been long dead as he stood in awe of the beauty she possessed.

"Thank you." Cuddy replied softly, feeling an instant blush running up into her cheeks, caused by the way he was currently looking at her.

"Here… these are for you." He then told her, handing her the lilies with his eyes never leaving gorgeous her face.

"Thank you." Cuddy said with a smile, her mind suddenly beginning to race out of control as their fingers made contact once more and she became lost in his eyes.

If she had met this man in her early twenties and before learning of the heartache men can bring with them, she would have been making out in her foyer with him already. Her actions unhindered, wild and free as she tore off his shirt before running her hands over every inch of his chest.

"Lisa?" Kevin questioned as her face took on a rather peculiar expression. Her smile curled up around the corners of her mouth in what he could only describe as somewhat erotic manner that made him swallow hard while fighting the urges that had told him to jump her as soon as he had seen her in that dress.

Immediately Cuddy snapped out of her sexually charge fantasy of the two of them, placing her hand up to her face as she rubbed her forehead.

"I'm sorry I was …I was in another world there for a moment. " She apologized. "Please come in so I can put these flowers in some water." She added slightly embarrassed while ushering him inside.

Kevin smiled down at her as he crossed the threshold into her home, deciding she was absolutely adorable when she was flustered like this.

"Just give me a minute and I'll be right back." She then said to him before turning and walking down the hall.

Making her way out into the kitchen, Cuddy shook her head while bending down to retrieve a vase from underneath the sink.

_What the hell was wrong with her? One minute_ _she had nothing but doubt regarding Kevin and the next minute... she wanted to jump him like some horny college kid?_

She was utterly confused and excited at the same time as her mind wrestled with her heart, her body pulled in opposite directions over the effect Kevin was having on her.

"You know after seeing your reaction over those flowers, I may end up buying a whole truckload of them then next time we go out." Kevin yelled out to her from the foyer, smiling to himself as the high he had gotten over seeing the look on her face just now coursed through his veins.

From inside the kitchen, Cuddy cringed, raising her eyes to the ceiling. She was an absolute mess, so much so that he was reading her like an open book right now.

"Not if I die of embarrassment first." She yelled back to him as another flush of color rose onto her cheeks.

She heard him chuckle softly out in the hallway. "You're too pretty to die." He informed walking a few steps down the hallways as he looked at the pictures of Lisa and daugher that adored the wall.

Taking in a deep, Cuddy set her resolve once more, placing the vase on the kitchen table and spinning on her heels, determined to remain_ in control _for the rest of the evening.

However... all of her resolve quickly fell by the waste side as she bumped into Kevin just as she had entered into the hallway from the kitchen.

"Whoah..." Kevin said with surprise, grabbing hold of her by the waist and pulling her close to him so that she would topple over because of the momentum in her stride.

She felt his chest pressing against hers as her held her tight, their faces mere inches apart.

She froze, feeling the beating of his heart on the palm of her hand.

_She was in trouble…big…big trouble._

"I think we should get going." She finally managed to push out through her lips after what seemed like an eternity to her, but was in actually had only been a mere second or two.

"Ok." Kevin replied to here with a nod, removing his arms from around her body and wondering if she had felt the way his heart had been racing out of control when her body had made contact with his.


	7. Chapter 7

**Ok peeps! I'm back with another chapter. I realy find writing this story has been good for me as I have always loved Cuddy on the show. Anyway enjoy and I hope you like it!**

**Chapter 7**

Around twenty minutes later, Kevin and Lisa arrived at Edgewood Park. The evening greeting them on that night, warm and inviting as the sun was slowly disappearing beneath the treetops of the park resting on the east side of Princeton.

During the drive over here Cuddy had found herself once more wanting to believe that this man was truly all that he seemed to be as the conversation between them had flowed easily, with her attraction to him continuing to simmer just beneath the surface as well.

"Hold on a second and I'll get the door for you." Kevin told her as he put the truck into park.

Cuddy watched as he exited the vehicle and walked around the front of the truck.

A few minutes before they had arrived here, Kevin had finally told her they were going to the summer festival inside in Edgewood Park which boasted great food, live music and several vendors offering wines and domestic microbrews from around the tri-state area.

It was the perfect place for first date, casual and unassuming, and made even more inviting by the glorious summer evening, with the parking lot already filling up as the festival was known to draw in a good crowd.

"Ready?" Kevin asked Cuddy as he open up the door for her, offering her his hand as the heavy duty work truck sat quite a bit higher off of the ground than a normal vehicle.

'Yes." Cuddy answered wtih a smile, placing her hand in his own.

Kevin had done the same thing for her when she gotten into the truck as they had left her home, and just like then, she thought it was very sweet gesture.

"I think if we go up this path where everyone else is heading it should lead us right to the festival." Kevin said after closed the door behind her and pointing to a winding trail about three feet wide and paved in macadam that was cutting through a grove of tall oak trees.

Cuddy nodded, and they started off towards the path, following another couple who was about twenty feet in front of them.

"So how long have you been in the construction business?" Cuddy asked as they made their way through the small forest of trees, the birds above them, busy singing their praises to the arriving twilight.

"Well…..I guess when I think about it, I've been working in construction ever since I was fifteen and wanted to save some money up to buy a car." Kevin answered before laughing softly.

"What's so funny?" Cuddy asked with interest while glancing over into his blue eyes.

"I was just thinking about how _completely_ clueless I was back then when it came to the construction business. I was lucky my boss back then was a patient man who owed my Dad big time." He confessed with a slightly boyish grin.

Cuddy couldn't help but smile back at him. "Well from the looks of things, I think you've learned a thing or two about the business." She commented back to him as they came to a clearing in the woods.

They were now looking out upon the rolling hills of the park that stretched on for what seemed like forever. A little piece of paradise and tranquility situated comfortably inside the city of Princeton.

The park had been slightly transformed, the natural beauty of the place now sharing space with a large stage where a group of performers were setting up their instruments and getting ready to perform.

Kevin had told her there would in fact be seven bands playing tonight with music ranging from pop, to jazz, to reggae and even some tunes from the seventies.

There was already crowd forming in front of the stage, with people spreading out their blankets and setting up their lawn chairs, preparing for a pleasurable summer evening filled with music, food and drink.

"So, what about you Lisa, did you always want to be a doctor?" Kevin asked her in return, placing his hand on the small of her back as they moved past the couple in front of them who had stopped to take a picture of the gathering.

"Ever since I was twelve." Cuddy told him as her eyes scanned over the crowds walking through the park.

There were several small stands dotting the hills before them, creating a pathway of grass that eventually led down to the front of the stage, the vendors along the way offering several kinds of food and drinks as people mingled between them.

"Wow, sounds like you were very ambitious, even as a young girl." Kevin commented back to her with an impressed tone.

Cuddy let out a soft laugh, shrugging her shoulders. "I just knew what I wanted earlier in life than most people do." She told him as the smell of the food cooking below them was starting to make her hungry.

It had been such a hectic day she hadn't stop to eat anything since breakfast, even though she had made lunch for Rachel.

Taking a step off of the pathway and onto the grass Cuddy felt her ankle give out from under her, the heel of her left shoe sinking into the soft ground.

A small gasp escaped her lungs before a very strong hand took hold of her arm, preventing her from falling.

"Are you ok?" Kevin asked, pulling her a little closer to him as his hand slid down her arm, taking hold of her slender fingers.

"Yes, I'm fine." Cuddy responded with a nod, subconsciously squeezing his hand in gratitude.

"Do you want to take your shoes off?" Kevin offered to her a second later.

Cuddy nodded, "That probably would be a good idea." She agreed, searching the area in order to find a place where she could sit.

"Here there's a spot right over there." Kevin told her, pointing to a small bench that was resting beneath a weeping willow tree before his right arm wrapped around her waist, lifting her off of her feet before Cuddy even knew what hit her.

She let out a sharp yelp of surprise, her arms wrapping around his neck on instinct.

"You..you didn't have to pick me up." Cuddy stammered as her right hand slid down to his chest, resting on one very toned pectoral muscle.

He felt like he was made out of hardened steel, the smell of his cologne and proximity of his mouth to hers something that was making the hormones inside of her go wild as the part of her that had read of such man in romance novels during the dry spells of her own love life were relishing at his actions.

_She wasn't used to this. Wasn't used to being literally swept off her feet by a man and was at a loss for a moment of what to do or say next._

"Now what kind of man would I be if I let you hobble over here while ruining your shoes in the process?" Kevin asked of her before slowly letting her down in front of the bench.

"I…..thank you" Cuddy replied as there really were no words she could think of- thanks to the pounding of her heart that was echoing loud and clear inside of her eardrums.

Sitting down on the bench she gasped once more, her eyes growing wide with shock as Kevin proceeded to kneel down before her.

Her expression made him chuckle.

"Easy there Lisa…. I'm not asking you to marry me….at least not yet." Kevin teased to her with a wink while reaching for her left foot, getting ready to undo the clasp on her sandal.

"You really don't need to do that…I'm fine." Cuddy whispered as the sensation of his fingers moving over her skin made it hard for her to focus on her words.

"I know I don't _have_ to do this. I _want_ to do it. Besides, I'm still not convinced you're ok." He replied back to her before lowering his eyes to her foot, removing the sandal as his thumb brushed over the delicate bone in her ankle, checking for any swelling.

His words struck a chord within her, effectively jarring her from the state of confusion she had fallen into over his noble gestures.

_There was no way she wanted him to think of her as some kind of helpless damsel in distress…no way in hell._

"In case you've forgotten... _I'm a doctor_." Cuddy reminded him with an arched eyebrow, however finding herself unable to stop him from proceeding as the gentleness in his touch continued to pull her towards the border of hope and what a real man could truly be for a woman.

"Oh I haven't forgotten." Kevin responded, glancing up at her for a moment before continuing.

"However….. being in the construction business for as long as I have has taught me a few things. One of them being how to assess an injury or two. The other being how to deal with people who don't know when to let someone help them." He finished in a frank manner.

"Are you implying that I'm being unnecessarily difficult?" She questioned, her eyes narrowing at him.

"No, actually….you're more stubborn than difficult, but I like it." He told her with a wicked grin before moving his hands over to her right foot, taking off her other sandal as well.

She did not want to smile at his comment. And yet she did, as truth be told, she found this slightly edgy and playful side of Kevin _ver_y appealing. Of course the fact that he was also spot on in his assessment of her may have had something to do with her grin as well.

"Fine, as long as you know you're dealing with a _very_ stubborn woman, you can't say you weren't warned." Cuddy told him, watching as Kevin got up into a standing position once more.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He said simply, offering her the sandals he had removed from her feet as she stood up as well.

"Well, now what?" She asked as they stood face to face once more.

Kevin smiled down at her, loving the spark in her eyes that had come from their verbal sparring.

"Well, I don't know about you…but I'm starving." He informed her while feeling that amazing connection to her once more that could not be denied.

"I could eat." She agreed coolly even though she was in fact starving as well, watching as his eyes left her for a moment, venturing off to their right.

"Hey, looks like that gazebo up there in is empty. Let's check it out and then maybe you could save us a seat while I go and get us something." Kevin offered, pointing to the structure made of out of wood that was resting about fifty or so yards from them.

Cuddy's eyes had moved towards the direction where Kevin had been pointing.

"Ok." She said, thinking they were rather lucky to have found the gazebo empty considering how fast the park was filling up.

"You sure you're gonna be ok on your feet?" He then asked her with a soft tone, showing that in spite of his playful teasing of her, he was in fact concerned about her wellbeing.

Cuddy rolled her eyes at him. "I'll be _fine _Dr. Bennet." She replied back to him, rather liking the sound of his soft laugh that had chased after her latest statement to him.

"Oh I have no doubt you'll always be fine Dr. Cuddy." He teased back to her as they both started walking towards the gazebo.

As they drew closer to the structure, Cuddy could now see there was a table set up inside of the gazebo with two chairs. The top of the table, covered in a white lace tablecloth with a bouquet of fresh summer flowers adoring it. On opposite sides of the bouquet were two tall white pillar candles which had not yet been lit.

On the table there was also a set of two, long stemmed wine glasses, a pair of fine white dinner plates and accompanying silverware. On the roof of the gazebo there was a vine of wisteria currently in full bloom, with purple flowers cascading down the left hand side of the octagon structure and growing in a grape like cluster which gave an even deeper appeal to the quaint little shelter.

The gazebo was also seated perfectly within viewing distance of the stage while also having the intimate aspect of being tucked away inside a small patch of hemlock trees that had not yet reached full maturity.

"Kevin, I think someone must have reserved that gazebo." Cuddy commented over to him, a slight vein of disappointment in her voice as his gaze had been turned towards the vendor stands below them.

Kevin turned in the direction of the gazebo once more and let out a sigh, scratching his head.

"Well that kind of sucks." He said with a frown before a small smile crept up onto his face.

"Hey, I've got an idea." He started to say, taking a step closer to her so that only a thin layer of air was now separating them.

"Since it's obvious whoever is _supposed_ to be in that gazebo isn't here. What do you say we crash it?" He asked her as a gleam rose up in his eyes.

Cuddy looked up at him as if he had gone mad. "We…we can't do that." She whispered back to him, once more surprised by another side of Kevin Bennet.

"Oh come on Lisa...why not? All you have to do is sit down and act like you belong there. Then I'll run down to the stands, get us something and come back. We can eat and be on our merry way and no one will be the wiser." He explained to nonchalantly while shrugging his shoulders.

Cuddy's brow furrowed at him in disbelief.

"I am _not _going to…" She started to protest once more.

"Hmmmm…so you're not into taking risks? Point taken." He interrupted in a low voice with the small smile inching up across his lips.

"There's a difference between taking a risk and taking a _stupid _risk." Cuddy shot back at him quickly, folding her arms in front of her with her sandals clutched in her left hand before she continued.

"And I for one don't want to look like an _idiot_ when whoever is supposed to be in that gazebo shows up." She added in a harsh whisper, just to make sure he got the point.

"You think you'll get thrown in jail or something for sitting down in a gazebo inside a _public _park?" Kevin asked as the smile stretched further across his lips.

Cuddy's eyes grew wide. "You're actually enjoying this!" She remarked. "Which can only mean one thing…" She continued to say as her mind put all of the pieces together, leaving her heart to stand up and take notice of the man in front of her once more.

"Don't be mad, Lisa. I just wanted to surprise you." Kevin told her softly, studying her face carefully and hoping she would see past his little game and to the true intent of his actions.

"I'm not mad." Cuddy replied back to him as the sun began to set behind his tall frame, a small smile now forming on her face.

It had been quite some time since someone did something like this for her, making her feel special in a way that wasn't sappy but rather with a bit of intrigue that kept held her interested.

Kevin breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, then let's go and eat before some scumbag decides to steal the table I reserved for us inside that gazebo." He joked with an easy laugh while offering her his hand.

**To Be Continued...**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi everyone. Well, I'm back with another chapter but, before you read it…. let me just stay that I really appreciate the reviews I've been getting. As I have said before Cuddy/OC is new to me too and I'm glad some of you have decided to come along for the ride….but besides all of that I really want to write a good love story and I hope you all will enjoy it. Thanks and again and enjoy!**

**Chapter 8**

Sitting inside the gazebo with Kevin Bennet as the warm breeze of the summer night kissed her bare shoulders, Cuddy took her last bite of a very simple, yet delicious desert consisting of plump, ripe strawberries topped with fresh whipped cream.

The entire dinner had been utterly fantastic, the waiter that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, carrying one course after another for them to dine on, making her feel that she was truly living inside of dream right now.

Throughout the entire dinner Cuddy had once more found her conversations with Kevin relaxed and playful, the continued flirting and laughter between them a very welcome guest in her otherwise hectic life.

However, as she picked up the cloth napkin from her lap and dotted her mouth, she knew it was time to speak her mind to the man seated before her... even if it meant the dream she was currently enjoying would end on a sour note.

Placing her napkin on the table, she reached for her wine glass, deciding to take sip of it before she continued.

"So, how was your desert?" Kevin asked her from across the table while placing his napkin off to the side of his desert place.

"It was delicious." Cuddy answered.

"Good, I'm glad you liked it." He responded while his eyes traced the delicate curve of her jaw.

She looked like a dream come true in the glow of the candlelight, soft skin, full lips and those sparkling gray eyes making him feel nervous...and excited, and under her spell all at the same time.

Cuddy cleared her throat, feeling a tiny sting of guilt as she saw the way Kevin had been looking at her just now. But, she needed answers from him before things could move on any further between them.

"Kevin, this date has been really wonderful so far, and... I hope you don't take this the wrong way. But…well…..there's been something that has been bothering me that I need to ask you about it." She said just as the female lead singer of the band currently playing on the stage below them started to sing.

_Oh, my life is changing everyday, __In every possible way….._

"You can ask me anything, Lisa." Kevin assured her as he shifted forward in his chair a bit.

Studying his face, Cuddy thought about her the question she wanted to ask him, lingering over how exactly to present it to him.

_And oh, my dreams, it's never quite as it seems. __Never quite as it seems….._

"Kevin, when I was getting ready to cancel our date the other day, you told me that you hadn't been out on a date in over three years. And, well …...to be blunt, I find it very hard to believe that someone who looks the way you do and who seems to have written the book on romance... based on our date thus far, would have had any trouble finding a date. Much less would not have been out on a date in over three years." She stated openly to him.

A slight frown appeared on Kevin's face. "You think I was lying to you?" He asked her.

"I didn't say…" Cuddy started to respond before he cut her off.

"Lisa, it's ok…I can understand why you would think that way, and there is in fact a reason why I haven't been on a date in over three years." He told her as his voice soften a bit while his eyes stayed locked onto hers.

"Ok, so tell me." Cuddy replied, needing to hear his explanation before she could start opening up to this man.

Kevin nodded, letting out a deep sigh before he spoke.

"I've always good at my job. Even way back in college when I was working for the company I now own, my job was everything to me. I thrived on success and moving up the ladder no matter what." He started to explain to her, pausing for a moment as he got ready to tell her the rest of his story.

_I want more, impossible to ignore...impossible to ignore..._

"But the thing was I was so blinded by my ambition, I forgot about what really was important in life. I've had my share of relationships with women throughout the years, some lasting longer than others …but I was never really able to commit to one person because I was giving everything I had in order to be successful. Then one day, I ran into an old girlfriend of mine that I dated for three years."

He stopped for a moment in order to let everything he had jsut said to her thus far sink in, hoping as he continued, the night wouldn't end with Lisa walking out on him.

"Go on." Cuddy prompted to him somewhat cautiously, telling by his change in demeanor he was trying to brace her for what he was going to say to her next.

Kevin let out another breath while dragging the memory out from his past.

"Her name was Carolyn Winters and she was the last long term girlfriend I had during my climb to the top of the corporate ladder. She was beautiful and smart and everything a man could want. I walked up to her and kissed her cheek….thinking that we had broken up on good terms. That she had understood why things wouldn't work out between us because I had made it very clear to her, along with the other women I had dated in the past that _my career _was top priority in my life."

Listening to him, Cuddy heard the echo's of her own past being spoken by him. Her drive and ambition in her stages of early adulthood and even further onto her thirties sharing a common thread with him.

Once more Kevin paused, his face now changing and filling with regret as he continued on. "Carolyn looked at me as though I was some kind of monster." He confessed to her next, his voice now filled with shame.

Cuddy took in a breath, watching the vision of a tortured man coming to life before her.

"She backed away from me as if I was carrying the plague while telling me that she had never had someone make her feel so utterly worthless about herself than I did when we were together." He voice was now thick and low, heavy with guilt to the point of almost drowning in it.

" I never wanted to feel that way again, knowing that I was the cause of someone else's pain simply because of my own selfishness and greed." Kevin admitted to her as his blue eyes had darkened with his sins from long ago.

"So seeing her again is what changed you?" Cuddy asked him with a low whisper, as the memory of someone who _could not change _moved through her own mind.

Kevin nodded in agreement.

"After seeing Carolyn again, I found myself lost for a few days. Not sure of who I had become. I called my Mom a few days later and told her what had happened. Then, I asked her to forgive me for all the pain I had caused her throughout the years by being a virtual stranger to her as well as to my Dad and the rest of my family. She told me that she had prayed for my phone call for years...I ...I don't know what I would do without her. The next day, I started living my life in a different way, opening myself up to all the joys in life I had ignored for so long. I reconnected with my family, finding comfort with them while also creatng a balance between my life with them and my job. And….. for the past three years, that had been enough for me. But then….."

Kevin paused again, his eyes struggling to stay locked within her gaze as his heart started to beat loudly inside of his chest.

"But then I met you…" He said to her in a voice that was a mixture between the man he was now and the boy he left behind a long time ago.

_And now I tell you openly, you have my heart so don't hurt me… You're what I couldn't find…_

Cuddy felt her breath catch in her throat, the gravity of all that he had told her, weighing down heavily upon her heart.

"Thank you for telling me the truth." She said a moment later, her voice trembling a bit as she reached out, taking hold of his right hand that had been resting on the table.

In that moment Cuddy had felt something shift inside of her, the words Kevin had spoken to her, the turmoil that had been written all over his face, suddenly taking her connection with him to a deeper level.

He had hurt too, he had suffered with his guilt and his pain and had come out the other side.

Kevin looked down at their hands, her slender one trying to cover up his much larger one and moved his thumb to the spot between her thumb and index finger, his mind aching over how long it had been since his heart had been taking over so completely by a woman's touch.

"Lisa, I …I understand if you don't want to go any further with this. I know this isn't the kind of stuff you find out on a first date…" Kevin started to say before Cuddy squeezed his hand, causing his eyes to rise up and meet her gaze once more.

"We all have our regrets." She whispered to him softly as her fingers curled around the edge of his palm.

"The important thing is that we learn from them and keep trying." She finished, feeling the rush of blood now pumping inside of her heart as it readied itself to open up to a man who had become more than just a dream, as his heart had also bore the scars of loss and guilt over what he had done...just like her own.

**To Be Continued...**


	9. Chapter 9

**Wow guys! Thank you so much for the great reviews ;) I'm so glad you're enjoying the story. Again I don't know how much writing I'll get done during the weekend, but for now….here's the next chapter.**

**Chapter 9**

"Hey you two up in the gazebo!" A male voice yelled from the stage located at the bottom of the hill inside of the park.

Cuddy cringed at first, thinking it was House who was shouting up at them, knowing full well how many times he had sabotaged her dates in the past.

However…. upon turning her head, she breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that the voice had come from a male singer who had taken the stage.

The man was African American and appeared to be in his early thirties. He was tall, rail thin, and on his face was a mischievous smile. He was dressed in a black t-shirt with a portrait of Bob Marley on the front of it in red, yellow and green, he was also wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and green converse sneakers.

At hearing him speak, the crowd in front of the stage, along with the people walking around the vendor stands had turned around to look to see who he had been addressing.

"Yeah guys, I'm talking to you." The singer then said to Kevin and Lisa as they had turned in their seats to look at him.

Kevin's brow creased, not sure why the man had called out to them.

"Don't worry man; I'm not trying to make a move on your woman." The singer assured him while keeping the grin on his face.

"I've just noticed that while the last band was playing, you didn't get up to dance with your girl. And... since this is a celebration of the summer, I think it's only right the two of you get up and dance with the rest of us for the next song." The singer explained before turning his attention to the audience once more.

"What do you think guys? Don't you think these lovely people should get up and dance with us?" He then asked the crowd while pointing up to Kevin and Lisa.

His words were met by cheers from the audience as they clapped with approval, a few of them cheering the couple even further.

"Yeah you two, get up and dance with us!" A young girl with long blonde hair who appeared to be no older then eighteen agreed while standing next to her boyfriend who had his arm draped around her hip.

"Yeah it's a celebration! Whooohoooo!" Came a cry from a young man in the middle of the crowd, his body swaying slightly as spoke, appearing to have had one too many beers while listening to the bands playing that night.

The young man's comment had caused the crowd to laugh.

Biting down on her bottom lip, Lisa glanced over at Kevin.

"What do you think we should do?" She asked him, not sure how he felt about dancing with her in front of the crowd of people.

Kevin smiled over at her, not sure why she looked so worried at the moment.

"Well…it seems as though the party gods have spoken." He replied to her simply, getting to his feet while still keeping hold of her hand.

Cuddy shook her head, letting out a soft laugh before standing up as well.

At seeing the two of them getting up from the table, the audience began to clap, along with the lead singer and his band mates.

"Alright people! Now, let's get this party started!" The singer announced into the microphone just as the band behind him began to play.

Still holding onto Cuddy's hand, Kevin guided her out of the gazebo and towards a small circular patio made out of brown paving bricks that sat just to the left of the structure.

He then took a step closer to her; taking hold of her other hand that had been resting on her side as the band began to play a slightly reggae inspired tune on the stage.

_I say, hey, I be gone today_

_But I be back around the way_

_Seems like everywhere I go_

_The more I see, the less I know_

_But I know, one thing that I love you, _

_Baby girl...I love you, I love you, I love you_

As they started to dance, their bodies were still a foot or so away from each other, their feet moving in time with the beat as Cuddy's eyes lowered for a moment, watching the way Kevin was moving his hips as his hands took hold of her wrists, his arms lifted and taking hers with them before those same hands slid down her forearms and to her biceps, reaching for her hips next before the palm of his right hand gently pushed her left hip, prompting her into spinning her body around in a circle.

_Rocking in the dance hall, moving with you..._

_I say, hey momma hey momma, close to you_

_Rocking in the dance hall, moving with you..._

_I say, hey momma, hey momma, kick off your shoes…._

As the rhythm of the song picked up, Kevin pulled Lisa closer to him, their hips meeting as they swayed back in forth to the beat before he turned her loose once more, spinning her away from him before creating a space between them again, his eyes watching her with an undeniable hunger as she rolled her hips to the music in they type of a way that would bring a man to his knees.

"You're a really good dancer." Cuddy said to him in an impressed tone, placing her left hand on his shoulder, every inch of her body suddenly coming to life from the way they were dancing together.

"You're not too bad yourself." Kevin replied to her with a smile, moving his hand to the center of her back as he pulled her even closer to him before slowly dipping her down towards the ground and bringing her up, their hips meeting and rolling in sync with each other.

_Rocking in the dance hall, moving with you_

_I say, hey papa, hey papa, hey momma, hey momma_

_Rocking in the dance hall, moving with you_

_Come on, hey papa, hey papa…_

Cuddy took in a sharp breath, the way they were moving with each other giving her every indication of how undeniably good they would be in bed together. The way Kevin guided her in the dance without being overbearing and controlling, telling her that he would be the kind of lover who would be doing his best to please her while taking her to another level in their love making.

The thought was making her high, the smile on Kevin's face as his right hand moved back to her hip, causing her pulse to race even more.

"You look radiant." Kevin whispered down to her as she suddenly seemed to be glowing underneath the moonlight, her perfect teeth biting down on her full bottom lip as her hips brushed against his pelvis once more.

He thought he was going to lose it right then and there. The smell of her perfume enveloping him, the look in her eyes making him want to taste and kiss every inch of her body, the dance they were sharing, filled with chemistry, heat and desire.

As the thoughts of them together ran through his mind the song ended, the two of them left looking at each other without saying a word, both of them breathless and unsure of what to do next.

"Wow guys, that was great!" The singer said to the crowd from the stage, the spell broken between them, at least for the moment as they turned and clapped along with the rest of the audience before the band began to play a slower tune.

The next song had a retro feel of the nineteen sixties, the beat smoky and laced with seduction.

Kevin looked back down at Lisa. "Do you still feel like dancing?" He asked her, not wanting to move too fast even though he was already aching to hold her again.

"Yes." Lisa replied back to him in a soft voice, drinking in every ounce of his handsome face, feeling as if she was sixteen again, completly taken in by his prescene, his eyes, his amazing smile.

Kevin reached for her hips once more; gently pulling her body next to his own before his right hand reached up for her left hand and they started to move.

_Say that you'll stay a little..._

_Don't say bye-bye tonight...say you'll be mine…_

_Just a little bit of love, is worth a moment of your time._

Cuddy stared up into Kevin's eyes as his hand slid down toward her lower back, their bodies pressed against each other, their lips mere inches apart.

_Save room for my love_

_Save room for a moment to be with me_

_Save room for my love_

_Save a little, save a little for me_

_Won't you save a little...s__ave a little for me..._

She suddenly found herself unable to look at him, the connection between them, hurling her towards the one thing she feared the most.

She retreated from his gaze, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes, his thumb now starting to caress the small of her back as he rocked her soothingly to the beat of the music.

_This just might hurt a little…._

_Love hurts sometimes when you do it right…_

_Don't be afraid of a little bit of pain, pleasure is on the other side._

Cuddy moved her hands to Kevin's shoulders, her mind completely locked in the reality that she could indeed fall in love with man as a part of her had already started to feel so many deep emotions towards him even though they had just met. It was with that revelation that she found herself beginning to slowly let go of the lingering feelings she had kept deep down inside of her for House, her hands moving to Kevin's arms and holding onto his biceps, holding onto him for dear life and hoping that this was right….that she _was right _to start opening up her heart to this man.

_Let down your guard just a little_

_I'll keep you safe in these arms of mine_

_Hold on to me pretty baby...you will see I can be all you need if you stay..._

_Won't you save, save_

Holding Lisa in his arms, Kevin rested his cheek next to hers, his hand now caressing her lower back as he tried to soothe away whatever had made her initially turn her head away from him after that ghost of pain had started to fill her eyes once more.

He wanted so badly to tilt her chin up to him and ask her what was wrong. He wanted to tell her that she was safe with him and that whoever had hurt so badly in the past wasn't the type of man he was going to be for her. He wanted to tell her all of this and so much more, but knew that right now all she wanted him to do was to hold her, to dance slowly with her underneath the stars so she could start to believe again.

_Oh c'mon, make time to live a little_

_Don't let this moment slip by tonight_

_You'll never know what you're missing'till you try, I'll keep you satisfied if you stay_

_Won't you save, save_

_Save room for my love..._

As this song ended, Kevin continued to hold Lisa close to him, their feet, still moving even though the music died, his eyes watching as she lifted her head from where it had been resting on his shoulder, her eyes, meeting his once more, the air surrounding them filled with all that things that could be possible between them…if they both had faith….if they both believed.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi everyone! Well I hope you're ready for more because I think I've got a pretty good chapter ahead for you. Thanks again for the reviews…I really appreciate them. Also it's great to hear that more Huddies are giving this story a try ;)**

**Chapter 10**

"I've got a blanket inside the cab in of my truck." Kevin said while continuing to hold Lisa in his arms.

Cuddy gave him a confused look, not sure of what he was offering to her.

"Excuse me?" She asked him as her hands slid down to broad span of his chest.

"I...I mean... if you want to stay and listen to the music for a little while, I have a blanket in my truck that we could spread out onto the grass." He quickly explained to her, fumbling over his words as being caught up the dance they had been sharing had left him a bit off balance.

"I guess I should have said that part first…..huh?" He added with a hint of embarrassment to his tone, releasing her from his embrace while taking a step back from her.

Cuddy let out a soft laugh. "Sure, that sounds great." She agreed with a smile... as for her, there was nothing better then seeing him flustered like this and unable to concentrate as it gave her validation that the chemistry between them was having the same effect on him as it was having on her.

"Ok, well if you want to…you can stay in the gazebo while I go and get the blanket." Kevin offered to her while the band below them continued to play.

"No, I'll go with you." She told him, reaching out of his hand and watching as her actions had caused another amazing smile to rise up upon his handsome face.

######################################################################################################

"You know, I could get use to this." Kevin whispered to Lisa as they walked hand in hand on the trail that would eventually lead them back to the parking lot and to where his truck was located.

Cuddy looked up at him, nodding in agreement. "It does feel pretty good." She confessed to him, secure in telling him such a thing as there were no walls around this man's heart.

However, even in the midst of this easy feeling between them …..there was still a part of her that warned her of the harsh realities when it came to relationships.

"Kevin... would you hate me if I told you that part of me is still thinking this is too good to be true?" She found herself saying to him within the next breath as the words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them.

Her comment to him caused Kevin to halt in the middle of the trail as he turned to face her.

"You know Lisa; I never pictured you as the type of person who predicted doom instead of hoping for the best." He said to her softly, a bit of disappointment rising up in his eyes as he looked down at her..

"I'm not…I just…" Cuddy tried to explain to him, not liking the way he was looking at her now, not liking the way her own words were making _her_ feel about herself as well.

"You're right Kevin….I'm sorry. In fact I didn't used to be like this. It's just that the last relationship I had ended very badly." She admitted to him as the reality of the changes that had occurred inside of her heart after her breakup with House came to the forefront.

"And to top if off you have the pleasure of having to work with that guy everyday." Kevin responded to her knowingly, not needing to speak the name of the doctor who had been giving Lisa such a hard time inside of her office the other say.

"Yeah." Cuddy confirmed regretfully with a nod.

"So then I guess it's my job from here on out is to prove to you how utterly _amazing_ I can as be until you wonder how on _earth _you could have dated that jerk." He boasted to her sweetly, a small, triumphant smile instantly forming on his lips.

Cuddy rolled her eyes at him, batting him in the chest with her free hand. "And here I thought you were a nice guy." She shot back at him, holding back her own smile.

Kevin laughed, wrapping his left arm around her waist and pulling her close to him. Once more their bodies were now pressed against each other, leaving only the moonlight above them as a witness to what was going on below on the trail that cut through the grove of ancient oak trees.

"I am a nice guy." He then said to her in a low, sincere whisper, suddenly finding himself unable to resist the aching need inside of him that had been begging for him to kiss her since the moment he had laid eyes on her.

Cuddy took in a breath as Kevin lowered his head towards her face before his lips brushed softly against her own, her entire body beginning to tremble slightly as she found herself rising up to meet his kiss without hesitation.

His right hand found its way to her jaw, his thumb now gently caressing her cheekbone.

She pressed her hands into his chest...the kiss between them starting off slow and searching as his nose nuzzled against the side of her cheek, gently reassuring her as before he proceeded. His lips then moved to the corner of her mouth for a moment and he placed another soft kiss there before moving them back to the center of her full, gorgeous lips. Cuddy's lips parted slightly upon his return, inviting his tongue to enter, her heart slamming wildly into the front of her chest as he accepted, parting her lips even further with his own tongue.

Her hands were now gripping onto his shoulders for dear life as that amazing warm tongue of his moved across hers with the kind of skill that sent a pulsing wave of desire and longing up to her brain and down between her thighs before rising once more to nestle inside of her heart.

After years of being kissed by tight lipped men who were too afraid to completely let themselves go with her, their jaws wired shut just as tightly as the innermost trappings of their hearts. Or worse still….after years of being kissed by men who had practically shoved their tongues down her throat in an effort to try and control her, or get her into their beds as quickly as possible while they awkwardly groped her, Lisa found herself in the middle of the kind of kiss that left her weak in the knees, hopelessly drawing her into the sheer power and elegant beauty of what a real kiss is supposed to be, with every second passing by them now taking the very breath out of her lungs.

_No one had every kissed her in such a way._

Kissed her with such openness and lack of concern in regards to their own heart as Kevin Bennet was doing just now, showing her within the kiss they were sharing, every ounce of emotion she had brought out from inside of him.

Her hands had now lowered and were now gripping tightly onto his biceps, feeling Kevin's tall frame now trembling against her much smaller one, his large, strong hands now latched firmly onto her hips as he too was feeling the aftershocks from the earthquake of emotions currently coursing between them.

She nearly cried out, when after a few blissful seconds, he ended the kiss between them. Her mouth left open and hungry, wanting more of the taste of him. Wanting more of that _spine tingling _kiss as she looked up at him wide eyed and completely bewildered.

"Wow…that was…that was_ great_." Kevin whispered down to her, trying to catch his breath, appearing a bit shell shocked himself over what had happened between them just now.

He had kissed many women in his past. But never with the kind of emotion churning inside of him has when had kissed Lisa just now. The selfish and self-destructive man he had been in the past who was content on holding back his heart as he focused solely on the physical aspect of a kiss and all that followed after it now banished forever

For him, after this day and after this moment there would be no turning back.

"Excuse me, mind if we sneak through?" A male voice suddenly said from in front of them with a tone of amusement, causing both of them to turn their heads as they continued to hold each other close.

They had been so wrapped up inside that passionate first kiss between them a young couple in their very early twenties had walked up on them, no doubt getting a free show as they headed towards the stage where the music continued to be played.

"Oh sure…go ahead." Kevin said a nod before effortlessly picking Lisa up in his arms as he stepped to the side of the trail.

Cuddy let out a yelp of surprise, her arms wrapping around his neck as he...along with the young couple passing by them, laughed softly at the amusing site.

"Oh my god ….put me down!" Cuddy ordered to him in a high pitched voice as her eyes followed the couple down the trail ,watching as the young man took hold of the young woman's hand and they laughed softly to each other again.

"Only if you kiss me again." Kevin informed her, his voice deepening with the desire that had been set on fire during the first kiss they had shared as their eyes locked onto one another again.

"Kissing you too much could be dangerous." She whispered back to him as her eyes traced over the outline of his lips.

"I like living dangerously." He challenged back to her, still holding her off the ground as if she were as light as feather.

Lisa bit down on her bottom lip, hesitating for a moment before she lifted her chin up and kissed him again, her hand moving to his cheek and stroking his jaw as she gave in oncem more to this new and seductively sweet addiction presenting itself before her.

#############################################################################################

After kissing her again along the moonlit path of the trail, Kevin had slowly placed Lisa back on her feet, her smaller hand reaching for his larger one once more, making him feel better about himself than he had in a very long time.

They made their way back to the truck, letting go of each others hands as he unlocked the vehicle and reached towards the bench style seat located in the back of the extended cab, pulling out a large, heavy quilt that had been stitched out of five by five patches of dark green, burgundy and deep chestnut brown fabric. He had also brought along and sturdy, body size dark green pillow.

"I thought we could lean back against this." He explained to Lisa as he turned, handing her the folded up quilt as he tucked the long pillow under his right arm.

"You pretty much think of everything don't you?" She teased to him with a smile, still drunk over the two kisses they had shared and finding herself already craving more.

"Well…" Kevin started to say slyly as he reached into the truck once more, this time pulling out a small canvas backpack that he slung over his opposite shoulder. "You don't get to be president of your own company without planning a few things in advance." He finished, loving the way the bag on his shoulder had piqued her interest once more.

"What's in the backpack?" Cuddy asked him, lifting her chin towards the object as he closed the door to the truck, locking it once more with his keys before shoving them back into the front pocket of his pants.

"Ummm….hard hats and tool belts." He joked to her as they began to walk together towards the trail once more.

"Shut up." Cuddy responded, elbowing him as she carried the heavy quilt in her arms.

"Hey, watch the merchandise! I think I'm going to have a bruise in the morning thanks to you!" Kevin warned to her, trying his best not to laugh.

Cuddy let out a short huff. "Considering you're built like a Greek god I hardly doubt…" She found herself saying before she clamped her mouth shut, closing her eyes in embarrassment as she stopped dead in her tracks about a quarter of way back onto the trail.

Kevin's smile took on epic proportions. "A Greek god huh?" He teased to her as she slowly opened her eyes and looked up to him.

"It's obvious even _you_ know how good looking you are." She replied back to him dismissively, trying to ease the sting of her awkward and embarrassing admission to him just a few seconds ago.

Kevin chuckled, playfully nudging her shoulder with his own as they started to walk once more. "That's ok Lisa…..please feel free to worship me as you wish." He told her, refusing to let go of the blunder because of how insanely adorable he thought she was acting right now as she tried desperately to claw her way out of the hole she had dug for herself.

Cuddy pouted, furrowing her brow. "I don't think I want to kiss you anymore." She warned, turning her head up towards him and replacing the pout with an evil grin.

He scoffed at her. "Come Lisa...who doesn't want to kiss a _Greek god_?" He countered with a superior tone, choking back his laughter as she gave him a very dirty look that in no uncertain terms was silently yelling at him to _shut the hell up._

"Are trying to make me mad? Or are you just _that_ conceded?" She shot back at him with harsh tone, while in reality their conversation had her feeling anything but mad and if fact had her feeling more alive in than she had been in a very long time.

"If I say I'm trying to make you mad …..can we kiss and make up?" He asked her innocently, watching with sheer delight as she stomped her foot and turned to face him.

"I can't believe you -" She started to say before he lowered his lips onto hers, drawing out a slow and lingering kiss from her until she was sure the lack of oxygen to her brain was going to cause her faint.

"_You have to stop doing that_." Cuddy gasped as when he finally pulled back from her, realizing only then she had placed a the death grip on the quilt resting in-between her arms, preventing her from wrapping herself around him.

"You know…it's kind of hard to resist kissing you when you look like a Greek goddess." Kevin whispered down to her with a wink, before turning his head and casually beginning to walk down the trial once more.

"That was _unbelievably corny_." She yelled down to him, staying where she was for the moment, even though in truth the words he had said to her just now had been so very sweet.

"You coming?" Kevin asked her nonchalantly from over his shoulder as he walked the next few feet on his own.

"So what_ do you _have in the backpack anyway?" Cuddy questioned to him a second later, her legs moving quickly to catch up with him as the smile stretching across her face was now rivaling the glow of the moonlight above them.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi everyone! So nice to hear from many of you on twitter about how much you are enjoying the story ;)**

**Chapter 11**

As the night continued on inside Edgewood Park during the warm July evening, Kevin and Lisa were now seated upon the quilt they had retrieved from inside the Kevin's red truck. The spot they had chosen to spread out the blanket on was about twenty-five feet or so from the stage. Their attention, currently focused on each other as the fourth band of the night was performing a cover of a Dashboard Confessional song that spoke of summer love.

_We watch the season pull up its own stakes_

_And catch the last weekend of the last week_

_Before the gold and the glimmer have been replaced_

_Another sun soaked season fades away….._

Resting between Kevin and Lisa were a few small plastic containers filled with fresh fruits, wedges of brie and a few bite sized walnut brownies. To the left of Kevin and placed in the grass beside the blanket was a bottle of Pinot Grigio, all of which had been tucked inside the backpack he had slung over his shoulder. On opposite sides of the containers sat two wine glasses, currently half full, which had also been temporary housed inside the bag.

"So you're into yoga?" Kevin asked Lisa with an appreciative smile before picking up a grape from one of the containers and popping it into his mouth.

Cuddy let out a sigh, rolling her eyes at him. "Why does _every_ guy I tell that to give me that same perverted, sex starved look." She asked him with an exasperated tone.

"Because thinking of you being able to bend your body in all sorts of ways is a _huge_ turn on for a man….as if you didn't already know that." Kevin stated to her with a wide grin, picking up another grape before leaning closer to her and offering her the fruit by placing it up to her lips.

_Invitation only, grand farewells_

_Crash the best one, of the best ones_

_Clear liquor and cloudy eyed, too early to say goodnight…._

"I can feed myself." She informed him dryly, while secretly loving the way the sparks were flying between them again as they continued dancing without moving their feet.

"Flexible and feisty? You are one very deadly combination Lisa Cuddy." He teased to her with a smirk, starting to trace the outline of her lips with the grape.

_You have stolen my heart..._

Cuddy narrowed her eyes at him, snapping the grape up into her mouth and just barely missing taking off his fingertips in the process.

Kevin jumped, his right hand jerking back wildly as she laughed her ass off.

"Hey! That was mean!" He told her with grimace as in front of them, the band continued to play.

_And from the ballroom floor we are in celebration_

_One good stretch before our hibernation_

_Our dreams assured and we all, will sleep well..._

Cuddy continued to laugh, picking up the glass of wine resting beside her and taking a small sip of the liquid.

_You have stolen my..._

_You have stolen my..._

_You have stolen my… heart_

"So, what do you enjoying doing on your off time?" She then asked him with a victorious grin.

Kevin set his jaw, giving her a mock look of disapproval over her little stunt, but of course internally…. he was finding this edgy sense of playfulness coming forth from her as endearing as her the sound of her laughter.

_I watch you spin around in your highest heels_

_You are the best one, of the best ones_

_We all look like we feel….._

"I run about three to five miles every day." He started to say to her as the lyrics the band had sung were repeating inside of his head.

"But the thing I enjoy the most is getting out of the city and to where the trees outnumber the people." He continued to say.

Cuddy smirked at him. "You certainly don't remind me of a recluse." She teased, resting her wine glass behind her in the grass.

Kevin laughed softly at her remark. "It's not about getting away from people. In fact several times when I leave the city and head for the mountains, I'm usually with some of my family or friends. You see… to me, I find the ultimate rush in leaving all the modern conveniences we have here behind, relying solely on myself to figure out how to scale that next cliff, or make it down that next trail on my mountain bike without ending up in a face plant during the process." He went on to explain to her.

Cuddy watched the way Kevin's face changed as he spoke of the things he loved to do, noticing his smile widening, accompanied by a glimmer rising up in his gorgeous blue eyes.

"Sounds like you're really into taking life by the horns." She commented to him, impressed by his vigor and lust for life.

"Maybe you could come with me some day and grab life by the horns as well." He suggested with an easy smile, reaching for her hand that was resting on the blanket.

"I…I don't know….. I mean I have Rachel .." Cuddy started to reply to him.

"So? We can take her with us." Kevin interrupted.

"Take a two and half year old rock climbing and mountain biking? I don't think so." She pointed out to him rather quickly.

"Ok, so maybe we couldn't take her rock climbing, but... we could go camping with Rachel. In fact, there's the cool little place about forty miles from here that has a great campground and tons of stuff for kids her age." He offered to her.

Cuddy wrinkled her brow slightly. "Camping…really?" She asked him with doubt.

"You don't like camping?" He questioned back to her with concern.

"I've never been. Well, I guess there was this one time when I was twelve and I went with one of my friends and her parents. But it rained the whole time and we had to sit inside this old green tent that smelled like a wet dog. It was awful." She said to him, replaying the old memory inside of her head now.

He laughed at the disgusted face she had just made.

"Lisa, I promise, if you give me a chance …I'm sure you'll have a great time camping." He guaranteed to her as he continued to hold her hand, with his tumb brushing across the top of it.

"So….. is this you're idea of asking me out on a second date?" She questioned to him while raising an eyebrow.

He smirked. "I guess it is. In fact, come to think of it… next weekend a few of my nieces are coming over to my house to camp out in the backyard. It would be the perfect way to introduce you and Rachel to camping." Kevin told her as his voice filled with a bit of excitement over the prospect.

Cuddy paused for a moment, mulling the proposition over.

_Camping?_ It really did not seem like something she would enjoy at all, but Rachel may very well may enjoy it and it would also give her a way to see how Kevin interacted with his nieces. Beside, if there were anyone who could change her mind about camping, there would be no better person than the man sitting in front of her.

"Ok." She agreed initially, albeit with a bit of hesitation to her tone. "But the moment I feel something crawling on me when I'm sleeping …..I'm done." Cuddy added with a word of warning.

"What happens if that _something _is me?" Kevin shot back her in an instant and with a low, masculine tone as he leaned a little closer to her.

Cuddy blinked, stunned for a moment and staring blankly into his deep blue eyes.

"I'm not the easy. Even though I am _that good_." She whispered back to him in a sultry voice.

"Considering I've gotten to kiss you at least three times already tonight…I think the odds are in my favor." He countered with an evil grin, before being met by a hard smack in the center of his chest.

"You're lucky you're so good-looking." Cuddy then informed him as she leaned closer to him, placing a soft and tender kiss upon his lips while trying her damdest not to smile when she heard him take in a sharp breath of surprise.

#####################################################################

As the night wore on, they continued to talk and flirt, discussing pretty much everything and anything that came to mind. With Lisa finding out more about Kevin's family as well as the man himself while she shared the history of her family, along with the demands of her job…letting him know up front what he was getting into by dating her.

When the evening had stretched into tent thirty, they had found their tongues had grown tired. The two of them nestling down onto the quilt, and placing their heads on the large pillow Kevin had brought for them, the both of them, now lying on their sides and facing each other as they glanced up at the stage from time to time, simply enjoying the sound of the music, the warmth of the night and the pleasure each other's company.

It was close to eleven-thirty when the final band began playing the last song of the night. The tune they had chosen to perform, one that spoke of summer and the magic that it brings with it as the band members, who were in their late fifties, took the audience back to a time of their youths.

_See the curtains hanging in the window In the evening on a Friday night….._

_A little light a-shining through the window lets me know every thing's all right ..._

Lying on the quilt, Kevin felt a shift in Lisa's body, her head now coming to rest on his shoulder as a soft sigh escaped her lips.

He looked down at her and smiled. She had fallen asleep, sent off to her dreams by the caress of the warm summer air.

_Summer breeze, makes me feel fine…_

_Blowing through the jasmine in my mind _

_Summer breeze, makes me feel fine _

_Blowing through the jasmine in my mind ….._

Her dark hair was now resting softly on her right shoulder, her right hand, resting in the small space that separated their bodies. The luminous glow of the moon, shimmering off the soft skin of her toned legs and bare feet as her sandals lay discarded at the bottom corner of the blanket on her side.

_See the paper laying on the sidewalk_

_A little music from the house next door _

_So I walk on up to the door step _

_Through the screen and across the floor ..._

Kevin swore in that moment he had never seen anything as beautiful as the sigh of her resting beside him now. Her face calm, tranquil and serene. A delicate smile curled up on the corners of her mouth, her breathing slow and steady.

She was completely at ease, completely at peace lying underneath the stars with him as if they had done this for years.

_Sweet days of summer, the jasmine's in bloom_

_July is dressed up and playing her tune _

_When I come home from a hard day's work _

_And you're waiting there, not a care in the world ..._

As he continued to look down upon her, the faint smell of marijuana drifted through the air, the herb... no doubt, being smoked by someone trying to capture every ounce of what that perfect night had left to offer.

A much bigger smile then erupted upon his face as he realized that no drug in this world could make him feel as good as he was feeling right now, lying next to a woman who had come into his life with the elegance and grace of the summer breeze …turning it completely upside down.

Closing his eyes for a moment he prayed that this was only the beginning for them, that in finding Lisa, he had indeed been blessed, finding something he had given up hope on ever finding, the way her mere presence alone had lifted his heart up from where it had laid resting dormant for so very long, a true miracle to behold in his mind.

_See the smile a waiting in the kitchen_

_Food cooking and the plates for two _

_Feel the arms that reach out to hold me _

_In the evening when the day is through ..._

"Mmmmm?" Cuddy mumbled softly from beside him as her eyes began to open.

"Hey." Kevin whispered softly down to her as his eyes had opened at the feel of her stirring beside him, those same eyes now focused on her and her alone.

"I'm so sorry for falling asleep on you like that." Cuddy apologized as she looked up at him, feeling the warmth of his touch by his arm that was wrapped around her shoulder.

"Stop apologizing." Kevin told her sweetly, reaching towards her with his free hand and moving aside a strand of her dark hair that had fallen across her face.

##########################################################################################################

It was now a little after twelve am as Cuddy lay awake in her bed, resting underneath the sheets and having stripped out the clothes she had worn that evening, now wearing a white lace camisole top with light blue panties.

Staring up the ceiling and unable to sleep, she began to replay the memory of what had happened outside her doorstep, a little over a half hour ago.

Kevin had leaned down to kiss her goodnight after taking her home. This most recent kiss between them, making a shiver run down her spine then as it did just now as she recalled it. Once more, they had both been left speechless as their lips parted, left to stare into each other eyes as the quiet summer night paid witness to the magic that was happening between them.

It has all felt _so right, so perfect_….

As if they had been destined to be together from the start... however crazy the thought may seem to her. The man who she had spent a few hours with tonight, having an instant connection with her that was so incredibly strong it had left them both blindsided and unsure of what to do next.

With her left hand resting on her abdomen, Lisa's slender fingers began to caress the area covered up in the white fabric as her mind tried to figure out just what to call her experience tonight with Kevin Benett.

Ok... so this _thing_ between them was a mixture of new along with somehow having the comfortable feeling of knowing a person for years, she decided. Her physical attraction and desire felt towards Kevin, harnessing the force of a lightning bolt that charged every inch of her body whenever they made contact. And yet….

And yet even though she _barely_ knew this man, it was more than just physical between them, like they had loved each other in another lifetime, with their bodies remembering what their minds had forgotten.

Cuddy laughed softly at the notion inside the queit room.

She was tired, and therefore the "less sensible" side of her brain had obviously tried to trump the more logical side as her eyes had grown heavy.

Shaking her head in order to shoo the last thought away she then looked over at the clock. She really needed to get some sleep in order to get up early and pick Rachel up from her sister's place.

A few minutes later...Lisa drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face as the image of Kevin Bennet came along with her into her dreams. The sound of his voice, the touch of his hands and taste of his mouth…. pulling down into a sweet serenity she had almost forgotten existed.

#########################################################################

It was nearly one am, but Kevin was wide awake. Lying on his back upon his king sized bed with both of his hands resting behind his head and staring up at the ceiling with a smile upon his face, still dressed in the clothes he had worn on his date tonight with Lisa.

Even though a few hours had now passed, he was still surrounded by her. The scent of her perfume, left upon on the cotton shirt he had unbuttoned before lying down. The sweetness of her, drifting up to his nose and reminding him of every time he had held her close. The exhilaration felt by him every time Lisa had reached out and touched him that evening, still coursing through his veins at lightspeed ...even at this late hour.

From beside him on the bed, his cell began to ring.

Reaching across the bed he glanced at the caller ID.

"Hi Mom." Kevin said softly into the phone. He wasn't surprised by her late night call, considering what had happened to him in the past.

"Hi honey. I haven't heard from you in a few days, so I just wanted to make sure everything was ok." Ellen Bennet replied just as softly as her pale blue eyes looked out upon the lake before her.

She was standing in the kitchen of her summer home, the moonlight above the lake dancing over the crest of small waves with the grace of a ballerina.

"I'm fine Mom. I've just been busy with that new project I was telling you about last week." He assured her, closing eyes momentarily and wishing that somehow he could take away the worry that still haunted his mother when it came to her middle child, knowing full well however, the concern she had from him would never cease as long as she walked upon this earth…..especially not after the horror she had experienced of almost losing her second eldest son.

Ellen closed her eyes and let out a breath.

_He sounded ok, Kevin sounded safe and happy and the concern inside of heart was temporarily replaced by how good it was to hear his voice._

"You should see the lake, Kevin…it's so breathtakingly beautiful right now. A little slice of heaven for us here on earth." She whispered in return, opening up her eyes once more,

"I bet it's stunning, just like you." He told her in a soft, referent voice as his mind carried him back to the place where he had spent countless summers days as a child with the kind of Mother who made no secret of how much she loved and adored her children.

Ellen let out a soft laugh.

"You know Kevin; you sounded so much like you're father just now. I swear, someday... one very lucky woman is going to see how just how truly wonderful you really are." She told him with a touch of pride in her voice, reminding her son once more, as she often did through the years, that his presence in this world was cherished deeply inside of her heart.

"You know, it's funny you should mention that Mom, because actually….I've met someone." He told her with a huge smile as the image of Lisa Cuddy came into his mind.

"Oh Kevin, I'm so happy for you." She whispered to him as the hope she had carried with her for all these years in regards to her son finally finding happiness was reflected in the tone of her voice.

"Easy Mom, I've only been on one date with her so far." Kevin teased to her with a soft laugh.

Ellen nodded her head. Of course he needed to take things slow.

"I'm sorry honey." She apologized. "Now, tell me everything about her." She prompted as smile took over her face, of course needing to know everything as most Mother's do when it comes to the happiness of their children.

On the other end of the line, Kevin smiled as well.

"Her name is Lisa Cuddy. She's a doctor _and_ the Dean of Medicine at Princeton Plainsboro Hospital…." He started to say, feeling his pulse quicken at the sound of Lisa's name be spoken from his lips once more.


	12. Chapter 12

**Ok guys, I already got done with another chapter so here it is. By the way I'm really loving creating the relationship between Cuddy and Kevin so I hope you guys are emjoying it too. Also…Monday for Cuddy will not be too far away now, which of course will mean a run in with her ex-boyfriend House…..hehe ;)**

**Chapter 12**

"So how'd it go?" Julia asked her sister as soon as she had opened the front door to her home that morning.

"Are you gonna at least let me in first?" Lisa replied with a raised brow.

Julia rolled her eyes, stepping back into the foyer so that her sister could step inside.

"So?" She then asked impatiently.

Lisa paused for a minute before answering.

"It went really well, Jules. Kevin is a great guy." She whispered, surprised at the hint of excitement in her own voice.

Julia reached out and touched her sister's shoulder.

"I'm so happy for you Lisa, especially after all the crap you've been through with House these past couple of months."

Cuddy let out a sigh. "Jules, it's only been one date…it's not like…" She started to caution to her sister.

"Mommy!" Rachel interrupted, running down the hallway towards her while grinning from ear to ear.

"There's my girl! Did you have fun at Aunt Julia's?" Cuddy asked with a wide smile, bending down and swooping up her little girl in her arms.

Rachel nodded, "Uh huh, I had lots of fun, and I got to fix things with my tools that Kevin gave me." She reported to her Mother.

"You did?" Cuddy said with a smirk.

"Yeah Mommy, is Kevin coming over to our house again today?" Rachel questioned with a hopeful voice.

"Oh honey, I don't think he'll be over today…." Cuddy started to say.

"_But Mommy _I have to show Kevin how I can fix things." Rachel pleaded as Julia continued to watch the exchange between Mother and daughter with an amused smile upon her lips.

"What about if we call Kevin and you can tell him about the things you can fix." Cuddy tried reasoning to her daughter.

"_Mommy_….I really want to _show _him in person." Rachel whispered in a sad voice as a frown pulled down the corner of her mouth.

"Oh come on Lisa, what's the big deal in stopping over at Kevin's place so Rachel can see him." Julia chimed in as the smile remained on her face.

Cuddy turned her head in her sister's direction. "You're really loving this, aren't you?" She stated in an exasperated tone.

"Lisa, you should have seen your face when I asked you about your date. It's obvious you're really into this guy. So why not take the chance to see him again?" She pushed, like any good sister would.

"All I said was that things went well and Kevin was a great guy. And besides…..I don't want to come off too strong with him this early in our relationship." Lisa replied in her defense, although truth be told she was already thinking of giving into Rachel's request.

"The guy fixed your pipes, brought your daughter a gift and had you out until nearly 12am on your first date. I hardly think he's going to think _you're _coming on too strong." Julia pointed out to her sister while crossing her arms in front of her and wearing a triumphant smile on her face.

#################################################################################################################

Twenty five minutes later, Cuddy was on her way to Kevin's place. Having received the directions to where his home was located during one of her many conversations with him last night at the park.

As she flipped on her blinker to turn right onto the next street, she left out a sigh.

"I'm sorry Rachel, but Kevin doesn't seem to answering his phone." She told her daughter regretfully as she placed her cell phone onto the passenger seat beside her.

"Can you leave him a voicemail Mommy?" Rachel asked in a worried tone from the backseat, now wearing her pink hardhat with her tool belt resting beside her car seat.

Looking back in the rearview mirror at her, Cuddy could not help but smile over the serious nature of her daughter's voice, as well as to the fact that Rachel knew _exactly_ what voicemail was.

"Ok honey, I'll leave him a message." She agreed, reaching for her cell phone once more and dialing Kevin's number.

It was on the fourth ring that he ended up picked up the phone this time.

"He….hello?" Kevin answered, breathing hard, not bothering to look at the caller ID before he answered the call.

"Kevin? Are you ok?" Cuddy asked him as she kept her eyes focused on the road.

"Hey …Lisa." He responded with a good natured tone, regaining control of his breathing.

"I'm fine, I was just doing some yard work." He went on to explained to her, wiping the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his left hand as a smile sprung up across his face.

"Oh, well …I didn't meant to bother you but.."

"Ask him if we can come over Mommy!" Rachel shouted from the back seat.

At hearing the little girl in the background, Kevin laughed on the other end of the line.

"Can't get enough of me huh?" He then teased to Lisa as he walked over towards the small cooler resting on the ground a few feet away from him that he had stocked with a couple of bottles of water.

"You're modesty still continues to amaze me." Cuddy shot back at him with a smirk, once more caught up in the dance with him.

"And for your information, Rachel is the one who wants to see you so she can show you how she can fix things with the tools you gave to her yesterday." She then informed him.

"Really?" Kevin asked her in a soft voice, halting from opening up the lid to cooler at his feet.

Cuddy smiled, hearing in his voice the way he had been truly touched by her daughter's appreciation of his gift.

"Yes, really." She confirmed. "Unless this is a bad time for you?"

"No not at all, just park out front and meet me in the backyard." He told her before bending down and opening up the cooler.

"Great, we should be there in about five minutes, give or take a few." Cuddy replied, quickly hanging up before he could tease her about having been on her way to see him even before she knew if he was home or not.

############################################################################################

"Wow." Cuddy remarked softly to herself from inside of the car as she pulled up to the four stall garage of Kevin's home.

The place was big, two stories with at least three thousand square feet of space she guessed. The style of house was of the Tudor design, with a steep roofline and a large chimney just off to the right hand side of the home. In the yard, the house was surrounding by an endless array of gorgeous flowerbeds and eye pleasing landscaping. The area in which the house as located, seemingly in the middle of nowhere while actually begin only a short twenty- five minute drive from the bustling city.

It was as Cuddy was getting out of her car with Rachel that she noticed House's car as it drove past the residence. The fact the two lane road on the outskirts of Princeton was essentially void of any other traffic finally giving him away.

Or maybe that had been is plan all along.

She stood there for a moment near the rear fender of her silver Lexus, watching as House's car continued up a steep hill before turning right at the top of it.

"Mommy let's go!" Rachel whined impatiently, tugging at her hand while decked out in her construction gear.

Cuddy thought about calling House for a moment to ream him out, but then decided against it as it would be _exactly_ what he wanted her to do.

"Ok honey." She responded to her daughter instead, before the two of them began making their way into the backyard.

Walking around the side of the impressive home any thoughts Cuddy had of House and his predictable behavior quickly left her mind as she spotted Kevin standing a few hundred yards away from them, inside a small grove of eight newly planted fledgling trees in the vast span of his property.

His back was facing her as the summer sun was beating down upon him.

Cuddy's breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. His tanned skin, glistening with sweat as he stood there, with his shirt off, patting down the small mound of dirt around the tree he had just planted with the back end of a shovel.

As if on cue, Kevin put the shovel down and turned to his right, reaching for his t-shirt hanging upon the low lying branch of an older, matured oak tree where he had placed it earlier.

He then turned around all the way to face them, proceeding to pull the shirt over his head...but not before Cuddy had gotten an eyeful of the tempting sight before her.

Kevin's broad and sculpted chest had also been beaded in a fine sweat. The chest hair that covered his pectoral muscles, short and dark, but not overly thick. That same dark hair found once more just below his navel, creating a thin trail leading down to the button of his jeans. As Cuddy's eyes had moved lower in those few brief seconds before Kevin had put on his shirt, she had bit down hard on her bottom lip to keep her jaw from dropping. His abs were _sheer perfection_, rippled and hard as they were displayed above the waistband of his jeans, which slacked ever so slightly upon his narrow hips, giving her further view of the line of his lower abdominal muscles near his pelvis that were toned into mouthwatering v cut, which nearly had her tripping over her own two feet.

"Hey you two!" Kevin called out to them with a smile as they drew closer.

"Hi Kevin!" Rachel yelled back at him, breaking free of the hold she had on her mother's hand and running up to him while placing a hand on top of her pink hardhat to prevent it from falling off of her head.

Cuddy wanted to run up to Kevin too after seeing him shirtless and glistening in the sun, wanted to take off his shirt and run her hands over every inch of his amazing physique, wanting more than _anything_ to feel the sweat upon his skin as it mixed with her own in the heat of passion, her mind, once more jolted by the undeniable chemistry and heat between them.

"Is something wrong, Lisa?" Kevin asked her after she had made her way to him without speaking a single word.

"No I.." She started to say, feeling a blush running into her cheeks.

He leaned closer to her, smiling. "You're picturing me naked again, aren't you?" He whispered into her ear slyly so that Rachel would not hear him.

Before she could answer Rachel piped up from below them both.

"You're all sweaty." She remarked with a crinkled nose to the tall, friendly man before her.

"That's because I've been working very hard out here in the hot sun." Kevin told her as his eyes shifted down to the child.

"I'm a hard worker too. And I can fix lot of things with my tools you gave me." Rachel informed him proudly.

"Is that right? Well, I don't think I have anything that needs fixing right now, but…..I do have to water this tree to makes sure it grows up big and strong. Do you think you can help me with that?" Kevin asked the little girl, his eyes soft and gentle as he looked down upon her.

"Uh huh." Rachel said with a nod and a excited grin.

"Ok then, well the first thing we need to do is go over to the rain barrel by the back of the garage and get a watering can." He told her, pointing to the location of the barrel before reaching down for her with both hands.

Rachel bit down on her bottom lip, unsure at first about letting him pick her up and glancing over briefly at her mother before a little smirk appeared on her lips as she reached out for him.

"Ok, up you go!" Kevin announced with his next breath, a squeal of delight coming out of Rachel's mouth as he turned her around and hoisted her up onto his shoulders.

"Mommy look! I'm bigger than you now!" Rachel said with delight as her hands rested on the top of Kevin's head.

Cuddy smiled over at her daughter. "You sure are!" She commented back to her as she started walking along with Kevin towards the back of the garage.

Kevin glanced over at and winked as they continued to walk.

"So was I right about you …." He started to tease once more.

"In your dreams." Cuddy rebutted before he could go any further.

From above them both Rachel giggled. "It's bumping up here!" She shouted, birmming with happiness as the ride on Kevin's shoulders was considered a big event in the little girl's life.

Cuddy laughed, "Hold on tight ok?" She then instructed to her daughter.

"Ok Mommy." Rachel responded, cupping the opposite sides of Kevin's jaw with both of her small hands as they continued towards the house.

Looking back over at Kevin, Cuddy could help by think of how all of this felt so easy and so very right. The three of them in that moment, looking like the family she had always longed for.

The thought shook her initially as it popped into her head, the realization that she was already planning a future with a man she had only met a few days ago so unlike her, and yet the vision of it seeming so oddly plausible when faced with the comfortable and happy aura surrounding them all on this warm summer day.

"Lisa, are you sure you're ok?" Kevin asked her for the second time after noticing the way she had shivered just as they reached the rain barrel located behind the garage.

"I'm fine. I guess I just got a little chill." Cuddy replied to him with a soft smile, rubbing her arms as the same wonderful electricity which flowed through her veins whenever she was in him had paid her a visit once more.

Kevin held their gaze for a moment before reaching up for Rachel as she remained seated upon his shoulders, silently making sure Lisa truly was ok before continuing with his actions.

"Ok, down you go." He then said, lifting the girl up before placing her gently down upon the ground.

"That was fun! Can we do it again?" Rachel asked him immediately while clapping her hands together.

"Only if you let your Mommy hold the watering can so I don't end up taking a shower." Kevin informed the toddler.

"Ok! Ok! I will!" Rachel agreed happily, watching with eagerness as Kevin picked up the water can from beside the large wooden whiskey barrel that had captured the rain before he submerges it inside of the cool water.

"Thank you for being so nice to Rachel." Cuddy whispered from beside him as the watering can began to fill with water.

Kevin shot her a puzzled look. "You don't have to thank me for being nice to your daughter, Lisa." He whispered back to her softly before handing the watering can over to her.

"I know…...it's just really nice seeing you enjoying Rachel's company as much as I do." Cuddy replied as his fingers lingered on top of her own for a few seconds, the dream she had of a family with someone who would love Rachel as much as she did rising up inside of her heart once more to take a curious peek at the man who could very well fill that empty space.


	13. Chapter 13

**Ok kids, ready for some fun?LOL! Sorry I'm just in a really good mood. So anyway...once again thanks for the reviews and your shouts out on Twitter! They really mean a lot to me and I love reading your reactions to the story. **

**Chapter 13**

On Monday morning, Cuddy arrived at work with a smile upon her face, feeling energized, happy and ready to take on the world.

She had invited Kevin over to her place for dinner on Sunday after she and Rachel had stopped over at his house, and….once more, their time spent together had left her with the sensation as if she was floating on air.

Kevin was _so good_ with Rachel, and seeing the two of them interacting together was something she could definitely get used to. Of course, there was also the interaction between her and Kevin that held that sizzle, that crackling heat of attraction, tied up between the trappings of a true emotional connection the she was acquiring a taste for as well.

They had kissed again out on her couch on Sunday night, after she had put Rachel to bed, her body crying out for her to take things further with him. Not caring about how shortly they had known each other. However….in the end, her heart somehow managed to hold back a bit, even though it had been pure torture for her to do so.

Sitting behind her desk now, Cuddy smiled once more, content in knowing that Kevin felt the same way about her too. Remembering the way his eyes had locked onto hers after their lips had parted and their tongues had retreated back into their own mouths. Her skin seemingly set on fire at the feel his chest pressing hard against her own as his hands held tightly onto her hips.

"I should go." He had said to her in a low whisper last evening, his eyes filled with the heaviness of his craving for more of her, making _her_ want him all the more as well.

"Not yet." She had whispered back to him before kissing him again this time deeper and harder than she had dared to before, feeling a jolt of electricity run down between her thighs when the thumb of his right hand swept underneath the swell of her breast as he caressed the side of her ribs.

She leaned into his touch, wanting his hand to slip up and take hold of the entire fullness of it. Her mind now flooded with pure and unadulterated lust, desire and longing.

"Lisa ... I thnk you already know how much I want you...but...I don't want to rush this." Kevin had whispred to her as broke off their kiss.

"I understand.…" Cuddy agreed with him reluctantly as she stared into his deep blue eyes, knwoing as he lowered his lips to kiss her cheek that what they were feeling had to be handled with the utmost care for fear of losing it just as quickly as it had been found.

"Good morning Doctor Cuddy! Do anything or _anyone _exciting this weekend?" House yelled as he entered into her office, promptly snapping her out of her daydreams.

"What do you need, House?" She asked him as the smile left her face.

"Well first off, I need to know if you've _always_ banged on the first date, or if I started a trend? But then technically weren't on a date. And secondly, how come you have no problems letting JFK junior hang around your kid when I had to fight you tooth and nail to get to see her?" He stated to her sarcastically, crossing the floor of her office in an instant with his cane thumping loudly before towering above her as she remained seated.

Cuddy took in a breath, getting to her feet.

"First of all… my sex life is none of your business." She told him in no uncertain terms.

"And secondly, if you think that by stalking me it will somehow rekindle whatever we had between us, you're wrong, House. You burned that bridge the moment you screwed your harem of hookers and married that mail order bride. So unless you need me for something regarding your patient..…. I suggest you leave." She added, pointing towards the door as she felt a surge of energy suddenly flowing through her veins at warped speed.

House stared at her for moment and said nothing, his eyes searching her own as she looked right back at him without apology or guilt hidden within her pools of gray.

"You haven't slept with him yet…but you want to. Even though you just met the guy. And you obviously already trust him with Rachel more than you ever trusted me." He said to her in a low voice intent on bringing with it the haunting memories of their failed relationship.

Cuddy steadied herself once more. "I'm sorry House… but you don't get to do this to me. Not anymore." She told him , her voice strong and unwavering as she took that first true step away from him, and towards her future.

##########################################################################################################################

"She can't love him. It's too soon for that." Wilson said to House a few hours later as they sat inside the hospital cafeteria having lunch.

"But she wants to have sex with him." House pointed out, picking up a French fry from his plate only to place it back down a second later.

"Sex doesn't mean love. You should know that more than anyone considering…" Wilson started to say.

"Considering I've pretty much banged every hooker in the tri-state area after Cuddy dumped me? Yeah, I get it Wilson… but what Cuddy is thinking of doing is different." He argued back to his friend.

"Why? Because she's a woman?" Wilson challenged.

"Women in general don't just have sex without some meaning behind it. It could be for revenge, or because they are lonely, or in my case because presently I'm paying them to. Sure most women do have a one night from time to time and I have fist hand knowledge that Cuddy has too, but …..you're forgetting the Rachel factor." House countered with a hint of bitterness to his tone.

"The Rachel factor? " Wilson questioned as he leaned forward in his chair.

House pushed his still half-filled plate away from him. "Cuddy's not gonna let some one night stand or rebound guy get anywhere near Rachel. Which means she sees something in Kevin that makes her trust him. Which means it's not going to be "just sex" between them. Which means, sleeping with guy is going to be the _dumbest_ mistake Cuddy's ever made." He replied to Wilson as the frown deepened upon his face.

"Even dumber than her sleeping with you?" Wilson asked, unable to resist.

House shot him a glare. "Joke all you want Wilson, but I'm not gonna rest until I expose this American gigolo for what he truly is." He growled back at him.

Wilson shook his head. "You know ….I hate to say this House, but what if Kevin really is a nice guy who's truly interested in Cuddy?"

House scoffed at the idea. "Have you seen this George Clooney wanna be? He's too perfect. In fact he's so perfect Clooney wants to be _him_." He spat out before continuing.

"Besides, I haven't ever come across a person yet who didn't have at least have _one _skeleton buried in their closet. And, I intend on finding out exactly what Kevin is hiding from Cuddy before she ends up getting herself in too deep ." He told Wilson as the wheels in his mind began churning.

"And of course you're doing this solely for unselfish reasons and not because you want her back." Wilson stated as he eyed up his friend, already knowing what his answer would be.

"Of course." House lied.

############################################################################################

"Exactly _what_ are we doing here?" Wilson asked as he and House entered a very upscale restaurant and bar, located only a block away from the hospital.

The place was packed and buzzing with the conversations of the people inside. The waiters and waitresses of the establishment, moving through the crowd with expert timing as they carried drinks, plates and of course the checks to their assigned tables.

"Cuddy's supposed to meet Kevin her for dinner before heading home, however I made sure she's gonna be a few minutes late." House explained as his eyes scanned over the crowd waiting at the bar.

"Quick over here." He whispered under his breath, pulling Wilson towards one of the booths that had just become empty as his eyes honed in at the bar on the opposite side of the large restaurant.

Wilson turned his gaze to where House was currently looking. "Great, so you're back to spying on Cuddy?" He questioned in frustration just as he spotted Kevin, standing in front of the bar with a drink in his hand.

"I'm not spying on, Cuddy. I'm going for an easy out." House explained to his friend as a grin moved up on his face, watching with delight as a very attractive brunette in her early thirties approached Kevin, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"_You're trying to get him to cheat on her_?" Wilson blurted out with distain as he watched the scene playing out before him along with House.

"I'm not _trying_ to get him to do anything. If Kevin's a cheater, he's going to cheat no matter what." House uttered under his breath, still watching the brunette, who was wearing a low cut, skin tight, red dress as she start to speak to Kevin while closing the space that had initially separated them.

She then liked her lips and flashed him a brilliant smile, her hand still resting upon his shoulder.

House's grin grew wider still as Kevin smiled back at the woman while the bartender came up and asked if she wanted a drink.

"If Cuddy finds out what you're doing, she's going to _kill you_." Wilson whispered over to House as his eyes remained glued on the couple behind them at the bar.

"If I find out this guy is banging every broad he meets, Cuddy's going to thank me for saving her a trip to her GYN for a STD test." House replied back to him dryly.

Just then, the brunette laughed at something Kevin had said to her, biting down on her bottom lip before nodded and walking away from the bar with a drink in her hand, now heading straight for them as she made her way through the crowd.

"I'm sorry but he turned me down." The brunette told House, after checking over her shoulder to make sure Kevin hadn't watched her leave.

"What exactly did he say to you?" House questioned, glancing down at the bar to make sure Kevin still had his back towards him, relieved to find that Mister Perfect was now engaged in conversation with the bartender.

"He told me he was flattered but he was dating someone." The brunette informed him matter of factly.

"_Jesus_…did you even try to flirt with the guy?" House asked her in an irritated voice.

"I basically threw myself at him! _And_ if he were any other hot blooded male at that bar, he'd be taking me home right now." The curvy brunette shot back defensively.

House nodded at her and let out a sigh. "Ok, you can go now." He remarked with disappointment.

"You still want me to come over tonight?" She asked him.

"Yeah." He agreed with no emotion in his voice.

Wilson had watched the entire exchanged without saying a word, noticing only after the woman drew close to them how much she had looked like Cuddy, knowing that House was most certainly still thinking of his ex lover every time he touched another woman.

"So there you have it, he's not a cheater." The oncologist waited to say until after the woman had left their table.

"I'm not so sure of that yet." House answered as his eyes moved back to Kevin who was still talking with the male bartender.

"Please tell me you're not going to have a hooker show up on the half hour until Kevin finally cracks? Because that would be beyond obvious, even for you." Wilson said sarcastically to him.

"I just said I'm still not convinced Kevin isn't a cheater. What I didn't say is what gender he may be cheating with." House clarified to his friend.

Wilson turned around again to look at Kevin. "So now you think he's gay?"He blurted out in shock.

House tilted his head. "Perfect body, perfect teeth, enough good looks to make Brad Pitt want to hump him. Yeah, maybe Mister Perfect is playing for the other team." He stated.

Wilson let out a sigh. "Please just leave the two of them alone, House." He requested with a weary tone.

"Not a chance in hell." House answered back, taking one last look at the man standing at the bar before he got up from the booth, with Wilson following his lead.

As they reached the door to the restaurant which led out into the street, House stopped in his tracks, watching as Cuddy entered the restaurant from the door at the opposite end of the establishment that led directly to the bar instead of where they were now exiting.

"Come on; let's go before we both get caught." Wilson pleaded to him in an urgent whisper.

"Shut up." House hissed under his breath, watching as Cuddy walked up to Kevin.

Her hand immediately moved to Kevin's chest as she leaned in to kiss him, not on the cheek…. but softly and tenderly on the lips. At the same time, Kevin's hand moved onto the curve of her hip, the both of them lingering in the kiss a little longer than most people would have, drawing as much life out of it as they could before their lips parted and they smiled at one another.

The sight of them together turned his stomach, causing his jaw to clench. He needed to think of a way fast to test Kevin about his sexual preference before Cuddy went any further with her blatant and obvious attraction for this man who could very well be sharing her bed sooner rather than later.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

On Saturday morning, Cuddy was humming softly to herself as she stepped into Rachel's bedroom. Sitting down on the edge of the mattress and placing a gentle hand upon her sleeping daughter's chest before rubbing it soothingly.

"Time to get up sleepy girl." She whispered down to the toddler while taking in every aspect of Rachel's peaceful, sleeping face.

The little girl yawned, her blue eyes opening with the remnants of her dreams still clinging to the corners of them slightly.

"Mommy…. is today the day we're going camping?" Rachel asked, just as she had asked for the past several days in anticipation.

Cuddy nodded, "Yep, today's the day." She confirmed with a soft smile.

"Yes!" Rachel exclaimed with delight, sitting up immediately in her small toddler bed and giving her mother a hug.

Cuddy hugged her daughter back, kissing her small, round cheek while smiling over the fact that Rachel was not the only one excited who was excited about today.

During this past week she had seen Kevin four times, including their dinner at the restaurant on Monday. Twice they had gone to the park for lunch during work, stopping by her place first... at Kevin's suggestion, to pick up Rachel and bring her with them the second time. The last time they had been together was last night at her home. Kevin was in the middle of an important new project and was working late. Cuddy had called him at around eight pm and asked if he was hungry, purposely making too much spaghetti earlier for dinner so there would be enough left for him. He was just wrapping up with some paperwork and agreed to stop by, telling her that he would be there shortly.

The sight of his tall and sturdy frame in her doorway once more, continuing to affect her in the best kind of way when he arrived.

She was craving his company, needing to see his smile, to hear his voice and to feel his touch upon her skin. Finding her thoughts drifting towards him more and more as the week played on. Thinking about all of the kisses they had shared up until now and how every single one of them were charged with that incredible electricity that left her wanting more. Feeling a sense of comfort in herself like never before thanks to the way Kevin was able to make her laugh and feel at ease... even if she was having a very rough day, loving they way he made her feel so very good about herself and what they had found together.

Last night she had sat at the dining room table with him while he ate, telling him about her day and asking about his, smiling as he mentioned how good she looked in the tank top and sweatpants she was wearing that night, with her hair tied back in a ponytail. She had found herself biting down on her bottom lip a few minutes later as he thanked her for the meal before she took in a short breath and closed her eyes as he leaned across the table, planting a soft kiss on her mouth that carried with it that addicting spark of energy.

##############################################################################################

At around nine am, Kevin was standing in the middle of the camping section of a sporting goods store, surveying the items for sale on the shelves before him. Although he had pretty much everything he needed for the backyard camping excursion tonight, there were a few items he wanted to pick up.

As his eyes scanned the top shelf, they quickly settled on a small, battery operated lantern. He already had four of these kinds of lanterns at his house, and that would cover his nieces, but he wanted to pick up one more for Rachel to have, knowing that for whatever reason his young nieces and…. for the matter, his young nephews as well, loved being able to carry their own lanterns as twilight came into play in the backyard.

Plucking one of the lanterns off of the shelf, Kevin heard the sounds of footsteps approaching as someone else entered into the aisle.

"Please don't tell me you're going to go camping with that thing?" A male voice questioned with amusement.

Kevin turned in the direction of the voice, spotting a man about ten years younger than him, who appeared to be in his early thirties.

The guy had blonde hair that was spiked a bit on the top, his light blue eyes, creased slightly at the corners from the smile upon his lips. He was wearing blue jeans and a light blue t-shirt and bore a striking resemblance to Brad Pitt. At least that's what Kevin thought when he had looked over at the man.

"Actually I'm doing some very safe suburban backyard camping this weekend, so I think this will be just fine." Kevin explained to the guy in a good natured manner, thinking nothing of the guy's question to him other than he was making some friendly small talk before going on with his own shopping.

"Ah." The younger man said with a nod.

"So I guess its Daddy's turn with the kids this weekend?" He then went onto to question.

Kevin shook his head, "No, I'm camping with my nieces along with my girlfriend and her daughter." He told the man, growing a little bit suspicious at this point regarding the man's sudden interest in him.

The younger man raised an eyebrow at him. "So you've got a girlfriend?" He asked in a slightly disappointed voice.

Kevin gave the man a peculiar look. "Yeah…" He said slowly, getting ready to ask the man why he was even questioning him about such a thing before his mind put the pieces together for him.

"You're trying to hit on me because you think I'm gay...aren't you?" Kevin questioned a second later with a slight smirk, finding only humor in the situation, which was of course true to his very easy going nature.

The younger man laughed softly back at him and nodded before speaking.

"Listen, I'm sorry if I offended you, but my gaydar is usually spot on. And well...when I saw you standing here all tall, amazingly good-looking and smelling great, and without a ten pound beer belly ….I was kinda of hoping that maybe I found my Mister Right." He explained while drawing in his bottom lip and shaking his head over his misconception.

Kevin shrugged his shoulders. "Don't worry about it man, no harm done." He said simply before walking past the guy and over to the next aisle up from them in the store.

#########################################################################################################

Around fifteen minutes later the man that had approached Kevin inside the sporting goods store got into the passenger side of a blue sedan.

"Sorry man, he's not gay." He said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"You sure?" House questioned from the driver's side of the car.

The man grinned back at him. "Look at me." He stated with one hundred and ten percent of his ego backing his words.

"If that guy were gay…. he'd be all over me." He then added with confidence before giving House a wink.

House grimaced over at the man. "Sorry dude, I prefer tacos to sausage."

Just then there was a slight tapping on the glass of the driver's side door.

House turned and was met face to face with Kevin Bennet who was staring down at him with a bag in his hand and a slight smile on his face.

Reluctantly House rolled down the window.

"Listen, this isn't what you think it is." House stared to say, deciding to play off his latest intrusion into Cuddy's life as him simply being worried about her well being, which would also provide him with some insight on just how stupid the guy now standing outside of his car really was.

"I can see now why things didn't work out with you and Lisa." Kevin answered back, nodding towards the younger man seated next to House in the car before leaning forward and resting his arms on the car door.

House gave Kevin an unimpressed look. "You do realize you're nothing more than a rebound guy for Cuddy." He replied to him in low whisper, unleashing his first small verbal jab at the guy.

Kevin looked back at him, equally unimpressed. "It's so odd that you call her Cuddy, when she has such a beautiful first name." He answered back confidently.

House let out a snort. "You obviously no nothing about _Cuddy_, or my relationship with her." He shot back as his eyes never left the man's face.

Kevin paused for a moment before speaking.

"That may be true, but one thing I do know for sure is that you had the most incredible woman in love with you and... you lost her because of your own insecurities." He started to say. keeping his voice calm but wtih a power running through the threas of it that let the man seated inside of the car know he refused to be intimidated by him and whatever kind of past he shared with Lisa.

"You really believe that?" House asked with sarcasm, even though Kevin had hit the nail on the head.

Kevin nodded. "Yeah, I do...and the best part is, instead of trying to get over those insecurities and win Lisa back; you'll continue to waste your time pulling stupid stunts like this." He stated frankly with a sarcastic, short laugh aimed right at House before standing back up, turning around and leaving.

"Sounds like the new boyfriend has you all figured out." The Brad Pitt look alike commented over to House as he watched Kevin walking away.

"You're not stupid and you certainly know how to fight for what you want. Which means that you're not as squeaky clean as you're pretending to be." House mumbled under his breath, ignoring the man seated beside him and keeping his eyes focused on Kevin as he turned down the next row in the parking lot.

##############################################################################################

Driving back to his home, Kevin thought about calling Lisa and telling her about his run in with House, but decided against it, placing his phone back inside the cup holder of his truck from where he had retrieved it as he pulled out of the parking lot.

He was going to tell her about it eventually, but not just yet. Not when the only thing it would do was ruin their evening tonight, which of course would be exactly what House wanted.

Letting out as sigh, Kevin pressed on the brake pedal of his truck as he came upon a red light, his mind wrestling with just how much trouble House was going to be to in regards to him and Lisa as it was obvious the guy was not over her by a long shot.

However the simple fact was, even at this early stage of their relationship, Kevin was not about to back down from the threat. Not about to let go of the best thing that had happened to him a very long time because of House's meddling, having already grown accustomed to seeing Lisa's smile and hearing her laughter. Already addicted to the way she left him breathless every time they kissed. Finding too much promise in the future with her and... for that matter with Rachel to turn back now, willing to weather any storm that may come their way because of what would be awaiting for them on the other side.

################################################################################################

"Hi Kevin!" Rachel yelled a few hours later, running into the backyard of his home with her mother trailing behind her, finding him standing next to a large tent.

"Hey Rachel." Kevin responded back to her cheerfully, laughing slightly at how adorable the little girl looked, running up to him, dressed in faded denim jeans and a purple t-shirt with her hair pulled back in a ponytail.

As she reached him, he picked her up, holding her inside of his arms as she giggled, finding himself unable to catch his breath as his eyes move over to Lisa who was a few steps behind her daughter.

She was wearing a pair of tight blue jeans and a light purple t-shirt with a v neck design, the clothing on her body, hugging ever inch of her amazing curves and enhancing the swell of her breasts.

He swore to himself in that moment he could spend hours just looking at her this way, with her dark hair resting on her shoulders and reflecting the rays of the sun above them as her beautiful face was beaming and as full of life as the brilliant sun above them.

"Hi." She said softly, leaning in to give him a small kiss on the lips before placing a gentle hand on Rachel's head.

"Hi." Kevin whispered back to her as Rachel rested her head against his chest, wondering if Lisa knew just how dangerously close his heart was to falling completely in love with her.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hi everyone. Well here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading.**

**Chapter 15**

"So we get to sleep in there?" Rachel questioned to Kevin as she looked over at the large tent behind them.

"Uh huh. Wanna go inside and check it out?" Kevin offered to the little girl with a small smile.

Rachel smiled back him, nodding with a twinkle in her eyes. "Mommy come on!" The toddler then ordered before taking hold of Cuddy's hand and pulling her towards the opening in the tent.

Kevin laughed softly over Rachel's excitement. Feeling her taking a little piece of his heart a second later as she grabbed hold of his hand as well. The three of them now entering inside the tent at the same time.

"Wow this sure is big!" The little girl remarked with sheer delight, letting go of both of their hands as her eyes scanned over every inch of the space.

"Look Mommy! We have beds!" Rachel rambled on as she pointed to the air mattresses resting on the floor of the tent.

"I see that." Cuddy commented back to her daughter with a smile.

"I figured you and Rachel could sleep next to my nieces over there." Kevin said from beside Cuddy, pointing to the three full sized air mattresses resting on the floor.

"While I sleep over here, closest to the opening of the tent." He continued, nodding over towards air mattress off to their left.

"So when are you're nieces coming?" She asked him.

Kevin looked down at his watch. "Actually they should be here any minute." He told her.

"Kevin, can I pick what bed is going to be for me and Mommy?" Rachel questioned from below them both.

"Oh Rachel, maybe we should wait for the other girls to get here first." Cuddy advised.

"Lisa, I'm sure the girl's really won't care where they sleep." Kevin assured her with a smile.

"Are you sure?" She asked him.

"Yeah, I'm sure." He answered back to her before addressing Rachel once more.

"Go ahead and pick which bed you want to sleep in tonight, Rachel." Kevin told the little girl, watching as her tiny face light up with excitement again.

"Ok!" She accepted happily before walking between the narrow rows of space separating each bed.

"I think I want this one." Rachel announced a few seconds later, picking the mattress that was the closet to where Kevin's mattress was located on the floor.

"You got it kid." Kevin replied to her with a grin.

############################################################################################

"Uncle Kevin!" Four little girls had cried out in unison a few minutes later just a Kevin, Lisa and Rachel had exited the tent.

"Hey girls." Kevin replied back to them with a wide smile as they approached him.

Standing outside of the tent, Cuddy instantly recognized two of the four girls running towards them as the two children faces who were displayed on Kevin's cell phone.

Emma, who Cuddy remembered was eight and the older of the two girls, had long, straight brown hair that ran down the length of her back with a pair of deep blue eyes the same shade as Kevin's. While Maddie, who was five shared both the same hair color and eye coloring as her sister. However, the length of Maddie's hair was a bit shorter, coming down to rest on the tops of her shoulders.

Running beside Emma and Maddie were two other little girls, who Cuddy guessed to be around three. They were holding hands and were identical twins, with curly blond hair and breathtaking light green eyes.

"Uncle Kevin we brought stuff for Smores!" Maddie announced once they reached him.

"And I got my ears pierced yesterday!" Emma told him proudly before moving some of her long brown hair aside to show him.

"Very nice." Kevin said with a smile to the eldest girl.

"Did it hurt?" He then asked her.

Emma scrunched up her nose a bit. "A little." She confessed to him while biting down on her bottom lip.

"Uncle Kevin we got new sneakers…..see?" The twins said in unison with sweet, high pitched voices.

"Wow, who bought you those pretty sneakers?" He questioned to them with an animated toned and wide grin.

"Our Mommy did!" The girls answered at the same time as they giggled.

From beside Kevin, both Cuddy and Rachel were silently taking in the scene playing out before them.

Watching the group of little girls continuing to talk to Kevin, Cuddy couldn't help but fall a little bit deeper into her infatuation with him. Loving how he truly _listened_ to these girls as if they were telling him the most important things in the world right now.

At that same moment, a tall, slender woman in her late forties came walking into the backyard. Her shoulder length, dark brown hair and deep blue eyes matching Maddie's and Emma's to a tee.

"I'm sorry Kevin, I tried to hold off the tribe, but they insisted on racing back here to find you." The woman explained as she walked up to them, shifting her gaze towards Cuddy.

"Hi, I'm Samantha, Kevin's older and much wiser sister." She said with a bit of humor to her tone while introducing herself to the attractive woman standing before her.

"I'm Lisa and this is my daughter Rachel." Cuddy responded, placing her hands on her daughter's shoulders as Rachel was now leaning against her legs, still continuing to stare silently over at the little girls in front of her who were now looking back at her curiously.

"Hi Rachel." Samantha said to the little girl with a soft and reassuring smile.

"Hi." Rachel answered back shyly, reaching up to take hold of her mother's hand.

"Would you like to meet my two girls?" She then asked the toddler, again keeping her voice soft and reassuring.

Rachel nodded, however still holding tight onto Cuddy's hand.

"This is Maddie and this is Emma." Samantha told Rachel, ushering her two daughters in front of her.

"Hi Rachel." Maddie said with a big grin while looking over at the cute little girl.

"Hi." Rachel answered back with a small, tentative smile.

"Do you like to go camping, Rachel?" Emma asked as she smiled over at the girl as well.

"I don't know." Rachel answered back in a low whisper.

"This is actually the first time Rachel's gone camping." Cuddy explained to the Emma with a soft smile of her own.

"You mean you've never been camping before? Oh my god! You are going to have so much fun!" Emma assured Rachel with a huge smile.

Watching the older girl, who was being _so nice _to her, Rachel's smile returned to her face, this time a little bigger than before.

"Emma, what did I tell you about the OMG stuff." Samantha warned gently from above them, glancing over at Cuddy and silently apologizing for the behavior.

Cuddy shook her head, letting her know it was not a big deal.

"Sorry…" Emma replied up to her Mom.

"Can I introduce Rachel to the twins?" Emma then asked her mother, noticing her two younger cousins had been watching them all without uttering a peep, which was so very unlike them.

"Go ahead, Em." Samantha said with a nod and a smile.

Emma smiled as well before reaching out and taking Rachel's hand, guiding the little girl a few steps over to where the blonde headed twins were standing together, still holding hands.

"This is Hailey and Hannah. They're three and they do _everything _together." Emma explained with a smirk.

"Hi." Rachel said with a small smile, finding a little bit strength inside of her that allowed her to speak first.

"I like your Dora shirt." Hannah said softly to Rachel in return with a smile, touching the front of the little girl's shirt where the famous cartoon character was displayed in all of her glory.

Rachel giggled. "I like her too."

"Do you have a Dora backpack?" Hailey, the other twin asked while taking a step closer to the little girl.

"Uh huh. It's purple." Rachel informed the her.

"We have them too!" The twins said in unison before all three girls laughed.

"Mom, they're so cute!" Emma remarked up to Samantha with an amused grin, watching as the three little girls started going on and on about Dora the Explorer.

"Maddie had all kinds of Dora the Explorer stuff she gave to us because she like Hello Kitty now." Hannah told Rachel with her next breath just as Maddie walked up to them, kissing both of her twin cousins on the cheeks.

"They love me the most out of everyone." Maddie then announced proudly before shooting a glance over at her older sister and sticking out her tongue at her.

"In you're dreams, Maddie." Emma responded, rolling her eyes before addressing her mother once more.

"Mom, can we go ahead and get the rest of the stuff out of the car?" She asked, more then ready to start their camping trip.

"Ok." Samantha agreed.

"Sam, you stay here with Lisa and I'll go with them." Kevin offered, taking a step towards the girls.

"Come on guys, let's race Uncle Kevin to the car!" Emma then prompted to the other girls, with an evil grin aimed at her uncle.

"Come on Rachel! Let's beat Uncle Kevin!" Maddie yelled in agreement wihle taking hold of the toddler's hand.

Cuddy watched as her daughter look back at her briefly.

"It's ok Rachel…you can go with them." She assured her child with a small smile.

"Bye Mommy! I'll be back in a minute!" Rachel chirped happily before running with Maddie as Kevin jogged slowly in front of them.

"There's no way you guys are beating me." He then said to the girls before looking over at Lisa and giving her a wink as they disappeared behind the garage.

################################################################################

"Well, I guess this is my brother's way to ensure us a little time to talk without the girls around." Samantha remarked over to Cuddy after the group was now out of sight.

Cuddy nodded. "You're girls are adorable." She then said to the striking woman.

"Thanks, they can sure be a handful at times, along with my two boys, but the great thing about coming from a big family is that we all take turns so no one goes completely bonkers." Samantha explained as she ran her fingertips through her dark hair.

"You have _four_ kids? You look great. I would have never guessed." Cuddy remarked with an impressed tone as the very toned and in shape woman smiled back at her.

"Thanks, but I really owe it all to good genes and the fact that my kids keep me on my toes twenty-four seven." Samantha joked back to her as the two of them stood in front of the tent with the sound of the girls laughter in the front yard drifting back to them.

Hearing them, Cuddy smiled before speaking to Samantha once more. "I can't believe how good Kevin is with kids. It just seems to come to him so naturally." She commented over to his sister.

Samantha nodded, however, the smile dimmed on her face a bit as she spoke.

"Lisa, I don't know how much Kevin has told you about himself and I realize you guys have only known each other a short time, but underneath all of his charm and confidence there is a part of Kevin that is very vulnerable." She cautioned initially, her eyes filing with concern over her brother before she continued.

"I guess the reason I'm telling you this now is because I haven't seen Kevin this happy in a very long time. He speaks so highly of you and Rachel as well ...and well... it's been so long since he's had someone special in his life that I want to make sure you know he's leaving his heart wide open when it comes to you and your little girl." Samantha finished in a tone that seemed to have some very painful memories of the past clinging to it.

Cuddy's brow furrowed as she listed to what Kevin's sister was saying to her, thinking to herself already that Samantha's concern for her brother had to go beyond the story Kevin had told her about his past love life during there first date inside Edgewood Park.

"Kevin's been hurt very badly in the past, hasn't he?" She then questioned to the woman standing in front of her, who eyes were unable to hide the worry pouring forth from her heart just now.

Samantha nodded. "Kevin's been through an awful lot Lisa, but he's also made such great strides over the past few years. Connecting with his family again and trying to find his own bit of happiness by starting a relationship with you. I only hope that me telling you all of this doesn't scare you off because that wasn't my intent at all." She confessed in a hushed whis

"I'm not about to turn around and run just because of what you told me about Kevin's been hurt in the past. In fact I think in some weird way that's part of the connection that I have with him and why I feel so safe with him." Cuddy went on to confess as well, somehow feeling completely at ease talking to Kevin's sister even though they had just met.

Samantha smile lifted a bit from the worry trying to weigh it down. "That's really good to hear, Lisa." She said just as the sound of the girls laughter drew closer to them once more.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"Come on Rachel!" Maddie said once more before taking the toddler by the hand as she, along with the other girls, headed down a dirt trail that would take them into the forest just beyond Kevin's backyard.

Kevin and Lisa followed behind the group of young girls. The two of them now holding hands on the warm summer day.

"So what are the buckets for?" Lisa asked Kevin as he had handed out small metal pails to each of the girls before they had set off on their nature walk.

"You'll see." Kevin told her with a smile while giving away nothing.

"Are you always this full of secrets?" She asked him with a smirk, while in the back of her mind, she was still mulling over all that Kevin's sister had said her about him.

Kevin noticed something in her eyes that told him her innocence question carried a deeper meaning for her.

"Lisa, is there something you want to ask me?" He asked, while the girls in front of them were busy laughing and chatting happily with one another.

Cuddy hesitated for a moment, not sure of how best to approach the subject before deciding to meet it head on.

"Sam told me you've been hurt very badly in the past." She said to him softly.

Kevin stopped their progress, swallowing hard as he continued to look into her eyes.

"What else did she tell you?" He questioned.

"That you're more vulnerable then you let on, Even though you've come a long way from whatever happened to you in your past." She answered, needing to be honest with him from the start as the alternative could end up causing them both some unnecessary heartache later on down the road.

He squeezed her hand, his eyes growing a bit darker as he spoke to her.

"Lisa...I..." He struggled to say. "There _was_ something that happened to me… back when I was in college…." He continued with difficulty, feeling his mouth start to water as his stomach was now churning from the awful memories beginning to rise up inside of him once more.

He let out a breath to try and calm his nerves, not prepared for the question she had asked of him.

He needed to tell her the truth. He knew she _deserved _to know. But there was a part of him so afraid to confess that part of his life to her, knowing she would never look at him the same way again.

"Uncle Kevin…come on!" Emma yelled as the group of girls were now stopped twenty or so feet in front of them.

"Coming." Kevin replied back to her with a smile that had been forced onto his lips, in an effort to shield the young girl from the turmoil now rising like the tide inside of him.

"Listen Kevin, I shouldn't have said anything to you now with the girls here. We can talk about this later." Cuddy quickly said to him; worried about the look upon his face just now because of how quickly his handsome features had filled with an unerving amount of pain and regret.

Kevin nodded, "Thank you." He said softly before turning and letting go of her hand as they started to walk together once more, afraid of what the future would hold in store for them once she knew about his past.

The act did not go unnoticed by Cuddy and she promptly reached out for his hand that had left her own. Guided by something deep inside of her that was hard to explain but present none the less everytime she was around him. Something she was only now able to feel the true depth of as her heart had just been pierced by the hurt in eyes, by the utter remorse cast over his face a moment ago that was as vast an ocean as he struggled to let her inside the darker parts of him.

He was still hurting. Still weighed down by whatever had happened in his past. In spite of the tenderness and care he was showing towards his nieces and to Rachel for that matter... and in spite of their chemistry and the connection they had formed during these few short days. Something was still haunting Kevin, still plaguing him after all of these years that would not let him be and as she squeezed his hand and looked up at him, Cuddy was surprised by how much she had already committed herself to see him through the other side of whatever had caused him so much pain.

Feeling her hand holding onto him, warm and reassuring, Kevin took in a shallow breath, finding his fear mixing in with the undeniable pull she had on his heart already...wondering which one of the two would come out victorious in the end.

#########################################################################################################

"Here we are!" Emma announced around ten minutes later, stopping at a rather large thicket of wild blackberry bushes growing beside a small stream on the side of the mountain.

"We get to pick berries?" Rachel asked with a little smirk, looking back at her Mommy to see if she was just as surprised.

Cuddy smiled back at her daughter before looking up at Kevin.

"So that's what the surprise was." She stated softly with another gentle squeeze of his hand.

He gave her a smile in return. It was small and a bit weary... but genuine none the less.

"Yeah." He answered simply.

From in front of them, Rachel reached out towards one of the bushes, ready to pluck off a ripe blackberry resting heavy on the branch.

"No Rachel, the little kids have to wait for Uncle Kevin to show you the right way to pick a berry so you don't get hurt." Emma warned to the toddler, reaching out and taking hold of the little girl's hand to stop her from going any further.

Rachel frowned. Worried she had done something wrong. Her bottom lip now quivering as she stuck it out past her nose, casting her eyes down towards the ground at her feet.

"It's ok Rachel." Maddie tried to assure her as the twins looked on in silence.

Seeing Rachel's reaction, Kevin quickly stepped in to action just as Cuddy was getting ready to move towards he daughter as well.

"Hey…it's ok Rachel. Em just doesn't want you getting any thorns in your fingers." Kevin said to the child as he crouched down in front of her, cupping her small cheek with his large hand to raise her eyes from where the had set upon her feet.

Rachel let out a deep breath through her nose, still a little bit shaken up, however, immediately being soothed by the way Kevin was talking to her as his thumb gently stroked her cheek.

"Are you ok, Rachel?" Cuddy asked next, crouching down beside Kevin and resting her hand on his thigh in order to keep her balance.

"Yes Mommy, I just was worried I was doing something wrong." Rachel whispered.

The little girl then moved her hand up to Kevin's hand, squeezing it gently as she gave him a little smile.

"I'm ok now." She then told him with the best big girl voice she could muster.

Cuddy felt her eyes tear up for a moment over the exchange. Realizing… even at Rachel's young age, her daughter had picked on the remnants of pain still residing in Kevin's eyes, comforting him as he was comforting her.

Kevin moved his hand down to Rachel's waist, falling in love with the little girl all the more after the moment they shared together. Seeing nothing but innocence and love in her big blue eyes.

"Ok then let's pick some berries." He said to the delight of the girls surrounding him, restoring the smiles on their faces once more and feeling Lisa's hand give his thigh a gentle squeeze just as he moved to get up.

He looked over at her, surprised when she leaned toward him and kissed him softly in front of the girls.

"Ewww!" Emma and Maddie yelled while Rachel and the twins giggled.

"Thank you." Cuddy whispered over to Kevin as their lips parted, letting him know he wasn't the only one who appreciated an act of kindness…no matter how small it may seem in the great scheme of things.

##############################################################################################

"I got one Mommy! I got one! Look!" Rachel squealed with delight while underneath the veil of twilight in Kevin's backyard.

Cuddy moved quickly over to where Rachel was standing.

"Ok, let me see" She coaxed, hoping her daughter hadn't squished her prized possession.

Very slowly Rachel opened up her small hands, revealing the soft pulsating glow of a firefly resting in-between her palms.

"Quick Mommy! Get him before he flies away!" Rachel whispered, excited beyond belief at this new game Kevin had taught to her.

"Ok, ok…just stand still." Cuddy coached, still a little squeamish about capturing the bug inside the glass mason jar ...even if it posed no threat to her whatsoever.

From beside Lisa and Rachel, Kevin laughed over the dread in Lisa's voice as he closed the lid on his own mason jar which he then promptly handed off to Hailey after her fist successful catch.

"There you go sweet pea." He said to her with a grin, glancing over at Hannah who was still tracking down her own firefly that had just settled onto one of the branches of a small butterfly bush.

"Hurry Mommy!" Rachel urged again, standing as still as humanly possible as Cuddy struggled to get the firefly into the jar.

"Need some help?" Kevin asked her with a smirk. Finding in this simple game with the kids, a calmness beginning to wash over him once more.

Cuddy ignored his offer for now, her eyes staying glued on the firefly that was now hugging the rim of the glass jar.

"Gotcha." She then whispered in triumph before lifting the jar up and twisting the lid shut.

"Yeah!" Rachel cheered followed by, "Let me see him Mommy!"

Meanwhile Emma and Maddie were off together near the tent. With Emma placing the fireflies inside of the jar while Maddie captured them with her small hands. The two sisters, content in being with each other for the moment as their goal was to catch the most fireflies out of the bunch.

"Congratulations, you captured your first fire fly without a major meltdown." Kevin teased over to Lisa as Rachel ran over to Hailey and compared her firefly to the one the twin had just caught herself a few seconds before.

"I don't want this to change." Lisa suddenly found herself whispering over to Kevin as he took a step closer to her.

She didn't know where the words had come from, other than the fact that the effect he had on her heart was stronger by the minute than anything she had felt in her life before. Her mind now realizing as it prepared for the unknown truth he would soon be telling her about his past, that she truly was falling fast and hard for this man in the kind of way that defies all sense of logic.

Kevin searched her face. "What do you mean, Lisa?"He asked.

"I don't want this to change. _For us to change_. No matter what you end up telling me. I want to keep feeling this way." She clarified to him, determined to keep what she had found in him as it had taken her to a place where she started to believe again.

"So do I…more than you'll ever know. I've never felt this way about anyone else Lisa…you need to know that." Kevin whispered back to her as her reached for her hand, wanting to hold her and keep them both safe from what was coming their way. Wanting to forget about his mistakes in the past and start his life here and now with her, underneath the stars and where the sound of the girls laughter floated up into the air along with the summer breeze.

"Uncle Kevin! I got one!" Hannah shouted with glee from beside the butterfly bush.

"Ok Hannah, I'll be right there." Kevin replied, letting go of Lisa's hand, no longer wondering if she felt the same way about him as it was reflected in the cool gray of her eyes and the way she had spoken to him just now.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hope this will start everyone's weekend off on a good note. Thanks again for reading ;)**

**Chapter 17**

At around ten-thirty pm later that night, Cuddy and Kevin were sitting upon the same quilt Kevin had taken with him to the park during their first date, next to the glow of a roaring campfire.

The girls had all fallen asleep about a half hour ago, with all of them nestled into their sleeping bags safe and sound.

Kevin had gotten extremely quiet after the girls had fallen asleep. His eyes growing dark again with the memories from his past as Lisa reached out and placed her hand upon his jaw, lifting his gaze from where he had been staring into the fire to meet her eyes.

"It's going to be ok." She assured him, feeling that strong pull on her heart once more for a man she had just recently met but felt as if she had known for a lifetime already.

"You don't know that." Kevin whispered back to her as the past loomed over him heavy and filled with dread.

Just then, Cuddy's cell phone rang from where she had placed beside her on the blanket.

"I have to take this." She explained to him regretfully, after seeing it was someone at the hospital calling her.

Kevin nodded. Turning his gaze towards the fire once more as she answered her phone, watching as the flames hungrily reached up towards the night sky.

He wished he could ascend up into the night sky along with the small sparks of orange swirling above him. Away from the memories of his past. Away from the pain now crouched in the darkness and only a breath away, with its fangs bared and ready to feast upon his soul once more.

"I'll be right there." Cuddy said into the phone a moment later after listening to the person on the other line before hanging up.

"I'm sorry Kevin, but I have to go." She told him with regret before glancing over at the tent where Rachel was sleeping inside.

"Don't worry. You can leave her here with me." Kevin whispered over to her softly.

"Are you sure? I can call Marina if I need too." Cuddy told him, not wanting to burden him with anything more tonight considering how his mood had changed as he inched closer to the painful memories of his past.

"I'm sure. Go." He assured her, nodding towards her car parked out in the front of the house.

"Ok." She nodded in agreement before getting up from the blanket.

"Just tell me one thing before you go." Kevin asked of her as he got up as well.

"What?" She questioned.

"Was that House who called just now?"

Cuddy gave him a puzzled look.

"No…why do you ask?" Cuddy questioned back to him with confusion.

Kevin let out a sigh. "Because ...earlier today I saw House when I was at this sporting goods store, buying some things for tonight. Apparently he was following me and actually had some guy come into the store, trying to hit on me to see if I was gay. I was going to say something to you earlier, but then we started to talk about my past. And... even though it's obvious your ex-boyfriend is more of jerk than I realized, you need to hear a few things about me first before we even being to approach the topic of your ex." He explained to her solemnly.

Cuddy frowned at him. "I can't believe House did that. No wait, actually I can." She mumbled before her phone started to vibrate inside of her hand.

She glanced down at the text. "Listen Kevin, I hate to do this…. but I really have to go." She told him, feeling as if she was being pulled in about eight different directions right now as her life was becoming more and more complicated by the minute.

#########################################################################################

Driving to the hospital, Cuddy couldn't help but wonder if this was the beginning of the end of her relationship with Kevin. Having been blinded sided, not only by something in Kevin's past he had yet to reveal to her, but also by House's intrusion into her personal life once more.

She shook her head and let out a deep breath as her fingers gripped the steering wheel. Finding the pain in her heart over the thought of losing Kevin was hurting her far more than it should have. Especially considering how shortly she had known him.

Once again and no matter how hard she tried to figure out and analyze this new feeling, it always led her back to the same thing. To the feeling of being on the edge of something wonderful with this man, something that would change her forever, no matter how muddy the waters may be for them at the moment.

####################################################################################

Stepping inside the hospital, Cuddy quickly pushed aside all of her feelings regarding her relationship with Kevin, attending to the most urgent matter at hand as her brain switched over to a part of herself she was the most comfortable with.

A large grain mill operation in Princeton had exploded. Killing two people and injuring several hundred more which resulted in the ER being packed tonight.

"Did you call all available staff?" Cuddy asked the charge nurse, slipping on her lab coat that was waiting for on the front desk.

"Yes, and they _are_ coming in. Just not as quickly as we'd like." The nurse informed her.

Heading into the ER, Cuddy quickly set about triaging the man to her left, who was propped up against the wall and suffering from burns to his arms and face.

It was nearly a dozen patients and forty five minutes later when she heard the voice of House behind her as she sent her latest patient off to surgery.

"Fancy meeting you here." He said casually to her.

Cuddy spun around on her feet to face him, the height difference between them even more exaggerated as she was wearing sneakers.

"My office….now." She told him with a clenched jaw as a flare of anger shot through her with the power of a raging tide.

######################################################################################

"You have no right interfering in my personal life!" Cuddy yelled at House a few minutes later from inside of her office.

House studied her carefully. "Trouble in paradise?" He responded to her coolly.

Cuddy held back her anger for the time being, taking a step closer to him as she spoke.

"House, if you ever cared about me, you'll leave this alone." She told him softly, hoping there was still a part of him that could be reasoned with.

He looked back at her as if she had struck him in the face, visibly shaken by her remark for some reason.

"You're falling in love with this guy." He responded back to her in disbelief, feeling as if he had just had his heart ripped out of his chest and backing away from her now as having her this close to him was simply too much to bear.

"House….I'm not in love with Kevin. I'm just trying…"She started to explain him, totally floored by his reaction.

"You're lying. Not only to me but to yourself as well because it's _beyond obvious_ you're feeling more for this guy after only seeing him for a week than you ever felt for me." He snapped back at her like a hurt child, still reeling from the way she had approached him, not with anger but a gentle calm as she was starting to let go of him, of what they had together.

"I can't do this anymore." Cuddy found herself saying as a vein of frustration ran through her voice.

"I can't keep worrying about you anymore, House. And I can't keep protecting you anymore. Not without losing a piece of myself in the process." She stated to him in the next breath as her throat tighten and her hands clenched into fists, harnessing every ounce of strength she had inside of her so she would not start to cry in front of him.

"I'm not asking you to!" House shouted back at her as all the anger he had been feeling over the past few months came raging out from inside of him, aimed directly at her.

"_Yes you are!_ You come in here every day expecting me to take care of every bullshit problem you create for yourself because you know I will! And every time you piss someone off at this hospital... I have to bail you out! And what do I get in return House? Respect? I hardly think so. Gratefulness? No! All that I ever get is you trying to push everyone else out of my life that you fear will take the spotlight away from _you_! This isn't about whether or not you want me as your lover! You just want me to be here for you…._always_… and no matter what! No matter what it does to me and even if it kills everything good we had between us….you only want me because you think I'll always be there to save you! But I can't do it anymore!" Cuddy shot back at him in a barrage of angry words, the sound of her heart now pounding unmercifully inside of her head as she _finally_ fought back at all that he had been unleashing on her over these past several months.

House blinked, left speechless for a moment. "You're wrong. I loved…" He started to say to her.

"You may have loved me House, and in fact you may _still_ love me. But you never loved me enough to sacrifice even the smallest part of yourself for me like I've done for you. You never _once_ were there to hold me. Or to comfort me, or to save _me_….. even if it was only from myself." Cuddy stated in a voice left flat and void of all emotion as he had drained them all from her, left only with emptiness inside of her now.

She watched him as he stood stone cold before her, staring back at her for a few seconds and saying nothing before he turned and left.

####################################################################################################

It was just after one am when Cuddy finally got back to Kevin's place. Finding him still seated upon the blanket and next to the fire, his long legs bent as he rested his elbows on his knees, currently lost deep in thought as his eyes reflected the glowing embers before him, burning hot and slow underneath a moonless sky.

"Hey, everything go ok?" He asked when he noticed her approaching him from the darkness, his smile weighed down a bit as it tried to emerge from the thoughts of his past still rolling around inside of his head.

"No, I had a huge fight with House." Cuddy told him honestly as she sat down beside him, pulling her knees up to her chest and hugging them.

"He was there?" Kevin asked her with surprise.

She nodded, letting out a sigh. "Of course the only reason House showed up is because he knew I'd be there." She said sadly, hating what she and House had become now that their affair had ended.

Kevin studied her quietly for a moment before placing his arm around her shoulders and drawing her near to him.

"It's going to be ok, Lisa. No matter what happens to us and no matter how much of an ass House is to you, just remember one thing. You've got a little girl sleeping inside that tent who adores you and could not have found a better Mother in this world than you." Kevin whispered to her softly as his free hand reached down and took hold of one of her left hand.

Cuddy trembled, feeling a tear sliding down her cheek and followed quickly by another. Closing her eyes, she leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder and letting out a soft sob as he wrapped his other arm around her. Holding her close….so very close to him. Her hands fisted into the material of his t-shirt, greedily taking everything he was offering to her and devouring it in that moment. His warmth, his compassion and his strength... all there and waiting for her to claim it. She wanted all of it…._needed all of it_, drained both and mentally and physically as she stood upon the edge of a very steep cliff right now.

"Shh…it's ok Lisa." Kevin told her with a soft voice, kissing the side of her cheek as he continued to hold her, finding his heart suddenly racing out of control as she looked up at him with an expression filled with a pain so deep it took his breath away.

She leaned closer to him, kissing him softly at first before sliding her tongue into his mouth, pulling him down on top of her before he even knew what hit him.

Kevin's hands moved to her hips, his strong thighs parted her toned legs as every ounce of longing for her took over. A feverish shiver running up his spine as Lisa pushed her pelvis up into his own, rubbing herself against groin and making him grow hard in an instant, her slender hands moving down the sides of his ribs and lowering onto his hips, her fingernails digging into his skin when his right hand moved up on her body, cupping and squeezing her breast with a hunger as his thumb rubbed over her nipple. She let out a muffled cry that traveled from her mouth and into his, causing his hips to buck against her in one very strong and powerful thrust.

"No!" He gasped, tearing his lips away from hers and looking down at her as she struggled to catch her own breath beneath him.

"I don't want it to be like this for us." He went onto say as she looked up at him, her face now filled with hurt and confusion.

"Lisa, I want you _so much..._but not like this. Not when we're both are so afraid of what's coming up next for us that we end up making this anythingless then what it's supposed to be for us." He pleaded to her with a strained voice, using every ounce of remaining strength from inside of him to keep them from making this mistake.

Cuddy felt another tear slip down her cheek. However this time; the emotion coming forth from her soul carried the heart stopping realization that all of her intuition about this man had been right all along.

That _this man, _who could have easily given into his own physical needs in order to help dull pain they both were feeling at that moment, had instead stopped her, reaching out for something more. Rising above the hurt they were feeling and guiding her towards what she really needed and had in truth hoped for all these years...

A man who would save her from _herself when she needed it_, a man who would sacrifice part of himself for her because he simply _could not_ bear to see her faltering before him.

"Ok." Was all she managed to say to him in return as she felt an earthquake of emotions rumbling between them now as they lay there together and underneath a starless sky.

"Ok." Kevin repeated back down to her before carefully moving off of her and resting on his side, pulling her close to lie next to him a second later, their bodies just barely touching as they remained face to face.

"I don't want to talk anymore tonight." She whispered over to him in a request. Resting her hands upon his chest. Needing to linger in what they had found together just now. Needing to feel the beat of his heart and warmth of his body so she could hold onto this night forever. So she could know that this was not a dream.

"Ok." He agreed in return, kissing her softly on the lips before resting his forehead against hers.

They stayed like that for awhile. Face to face, underneath the dark sky. Listening to the sounds of each other's breathing. Their hands roaming from time to time to caressed one another as they began to memorize the outlines of each others bodies. The two of them, finding sanctity in the silent truth they had discovered that night. That when love is found in its truest and deepest form, it does not hold itself bound to the restraints of time, but rather comes to us without preparation, or deadlines, or the aid of convenience, showing up when we least expect it and changing our lives forever.


	18. Chapter 18

**It was great to hear how much you guys loved the last chapter;) Now onto more Kuddy goodness lol.**

**Chapter 18**

Waking the next morning inside of the ten, Lisa rolled onto her side, moving her hand across the empty spot on the air mattress where Kevin had been lying next to her.

They had come in here together at around two am. Finding all five girls sprawled out on the air mattresses on the other side of the tent in such a way that would make it nearly impossible for her to find any sleeping space. But, it was just as well as she welcomed the chance to stay beside Kevin for the remainder of the night, to feel his arm wrap around her waist and the warmth of his body as he held her close to him until she had finally drifted off to sleep.

Surveying the rest of the tent this morning she could see she was the only one who had slept in, hearing the sounds of the girls approaching the tent from behind her as she sat up and stretched.

"Stop being so loud Maddie! You're going to wake her up." Emma whispered harshly to her sister.

"Maddie's fine Em." Kevin whispered back over to eldest niece while giving Maddie a wink.

"Mommy's gonna be so surprised." Rachel chimed in with a giggled as they walked around the back of the tent and towards the front, her statement causing the twins beside her to giggle as well.

"Surprise!" All five girls yelled a second later as they stepped thru the opening of the tent with Kevin behind them.

He was carrying a tray filled with coffee, juice, eggs, pancakes, bacon and toast.

Cuddy smiled up at them all, wondering if she had ever had a sweeter introduction to another day.

"Good morning." She said as Rachel ran up to her, practically jumping into her arms.

"Look Mommy, we made breakfast for you!" Rachel informed her happily while nestling down on her lap.

"I can see that." Cuddy remarked, smiling up at Kevin as he looked down at her with a somewhat tired smile. No doubt still slightly drained from the night before.

He had done this all for her. Letting her sleep in while he kept the girls occupied with making her breakfast. Getting up early and attending to their needs while she rested. And... if there had been any doubts left inside of her mind after last night that she was indeed falling love with this man ...they quickly fell to the waste side as he carefully knelt down before her with the tray of food.

#########################################################################

Later on that morning, Samantha had returned to pick up Emma, Maddie, Hailey and Hannah. Talking to Lisa for a few minutes about how the sleepover went as the girls began picking up their things before telling everyone goodbye and getting ready to head to the car.

"Mommy I have to pee." Rachel whispered up to her mother after hugging all of her new friends goodbye and watching them begin to walk away.

"Ok honey. I'll take you up to the house." Lisa told her daughter as she glanced over a Kevin.

He nodded, watching them leave as Sam remained standing in front of him, waiting until Lisa entered into the house with Rachel before he spoke to her.

"How could you, Sam?" He asked her in a whisper filled with hurt.

"If you care about Lisa as much as you say you do, then she needs to know the truth up front." Samantha stressed back to him.

"Why? It's ancient history, Sam. And all this its gonna do is make me go thru that hell all over again. Plus Lisa's never gonna look at me the same way after I tell her….you know that." Kevin responded back to her, feeling more like the college kid he had been so many years ago rather than the man he had become now.

Samantha saw the hurt filling her brother's eyes, but pushed on anyway. "It's not your fault, Kevin. It never was." She tried to reason with him before glancing over her left shoulder and making sure the girls were still playing off in the distance as they waited for her.

"Like hell it isn't!" He found himself barking back to his sister, his voice rising higher then he intended.

Thankfully the girls were too busy laughing and playing to hear him, but Kevin watched as Samantha's face changed to one of shock and surprise. The silent alarm she would always carry inside of her for him, no doubt going off loud and clear.

"I'm sorry, Sam." He apologized immediately, reaching out for his sister and pulling her into his embrace, afraid he had hurt somehow by talking to her in such an angry manner.

"Oh Kevin….."Sam whispered to him, heartbroken over the wound inside of him that he was unable to let heal.

"You have to stop blaming yourself." She continued before kissing his cheek and taking a step back from him.

"I don't know if I can, Sam." He whispered back to her honestly, looking so much like her little brother from so long ago before life had come and tore his world apart.

From above them, the sound of the backdoor opening took their attention away from the conversation they were having, drawing their eyes up to Lisa and Rachel as they made their way down the steps of the deck.

"Call me later, after Lisa leaves so we can talk. Ok?" Sam asked of her brother.

Kevin nodded. "Just promise not to say anything to Mom. Ok, Sam? I don't want her worrying about me." He asked her in return.

Samantha nodded in agreement before placing a smile upon her face as Lisa and Rachel drew closer.

########################################################################################

"Can you come over tomorrow night?" Kevin asked Lisa, standing by her car with her as she got ready to leave later that afternoon, with Rachel already secured in her car seat in the back of the sliver Lexus.

"Yes, just let me make sure Julia can watch Rachel for me." She replied before moving her hand up to the side of his face.

Kevin closed his eyes and nodded. "You're amazing." He then whispered down to her as he opened his eyes back up, seeing her looking up at him with her breathtaking beauty on full display before he leaned down and kissed her.

###########################################################################################

"Thanks Jules, I really appreciate it." Lisa said to her sister, standing inside of her living room a few hours later and after having put Rachel down for a lap.

"It's no problem, Lisa. I just hope everything works out for the two of you." Julia responded on the other end of the line.

Cuddy bit down on her bottom lip, looking out at the street from the window inside of her living room.

"I hope so too. I just have a feeling that Kevin experienced something very bad in his past that he still hasn't got over yet." She confided to her sister.

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

"Lisa, are you sure…" Julia started to say.

"Jules…he's a good man. Probably the most caring and giving man I've ever been involved with. And I'm not going to let him walk out of my life just because at some point_ his life_ he may have taken a wrong turn." Lisa told her sister with conviction just before she saw Kevin's truck pulling up in front of her house.

"Listen Jules, I have to go now, but I'll call you back later." She said immediately hanging up the phone and heading to the front door.

##########################################################################################

"It's only for a week. Then I'll be back and we can talk." Kevin told Lisa as they stood inside the foyer of her home facing each other.

"I know." Lisa replied back sadly to him as her left hand moved to his chest.

Kevin had just gotten done telling her that one of his foremen at a new project site nearly five hours away had called him a few minutes ago. Things were falling apart and he needed to go on site to help pick up the pieces.

"If you want I can come back here one day during the week so we can talk before Friday. I won't get here until around two in the morning, but I'll do it if you want me to." Kevin offered to her, hating like hell to leave her when everything between them was hanging on string...but needing to be onsite in order to save the project.

"No, I don't want you showing up here exhausted. It's not fair to either of us." Cuddy told him, knowing that with such a tortuous, emotional confession coming from him in the near future, the last thing she wanted to do was put even more stress upon him.

"I promise as soon as I get back into Princeton Friday night I'll give you call and head right over so we can talk." He stressed to her as his hand moved to the side of her neck, caressing the soft skin he found there with his thumb.

"Ok." Cuddy whispered back to him, surprised to find saying goodbye to him was literally tearing her apart right now.

Everything about them had been so intense, starting from the first day they had met. Every moment together since then..._so real _in the kind of way she could not ignore if she tried. And now in this moment, things were so incredibly heartbreaking and sweet at the same time as she found herself completely taken in by the man standing before her. Feeling like she was finally living for the first time in years as he started to fill in the missing pieces of her life.

"I'm going to miss you like crazy." He whispered to her as his thumb caressed her curve of cheekbone and he gazed down into her eyes.

"I already miss you." She whispered back to him as he lowered his head and capturing her lips with his own.

Kevin felt Lisa's arms wrapping around him, not wanting to let go, her smaller body pressing hard against his much larger one.

He pulled her closer to him and deepened the kiss between them. Wanting every fiber of her being to sink into his skin. To reside in his bones, his mind, and his heart, becoming a part of him so he could keep her with him and remember come what may…that this had been _real _and more than he could have ever hoped for in his life.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

As Monday morning arrived Cuddy went into work determined to put her nose to the grindstone for the entire week. Wanting the time between Monday and Friday to fly by her in one big blur until she would find Kevin standing in the frame of her doorway once more.

Walking into her office, she prayed that House would leave her alone after their huge fight on Saturday and thankfully….as Monday came and went, followed by Tuesday and then by Wednesday which was followed soon after by Thursday…. he did do just that. Avoiding her at all cost by either camping out in a coma patient's room or, by spending time inside of Wilson's office as currently he did not have a patient to diagnosis.

And for the first time in a long time, she did not go searching for him. Her thoughts of Kevin, now moving inside of her mind and taking up the space that had been reserved previously for her worrying about House.

#################################################################################################

As Thursday night was drawing to a close, Cuddy knew she was in the home stretch. Just a few more hours at work tomorrow followed by some more precious time spent with Rachel ,and before she knew it, Kevin would be back...at least the was the plan according to her last phone conversation she had with Kevin on Wednesday night.

"Mommy, is Kevin really coming back?" Rachel suddenly asked her mother as they sat on her bedroom floor, playing with some of her toys.

"Of course he's coming back sweetie." Cuddy assured her daughter with a small smile as she leaned forward from where she was seated upon the floor, kissing the girl on the forehead.

However, instead of being soothed by her mother's words, Rachel frowned. "Are you sure Mommy?" She asked with a hint of doubt held within her very young voice.

Cuddy looked back at her daughter with confusion. "Yes honey, I'm sure. But why are you so worried that Kevin won't be coming back?" She asked with concern while pulling Rachel her onto her lap.

Rachel paused for a moment, a sad expression over taking innocence her face as she looked up at her mother.

"House never came back." The little girl answered to her in a low, sad whisper before resting her head upon the spot of her mother's chest where the beating of her heart could be heard.

Cuddy closed her eyes for a moment, riding out the sting of guilt that had just pierced her soul.

"I promise you Rachel, Kevin _will_ be back." She whisper softly to her child, rocking her gently in her arms as she kissed the top of her daughter's head. Blaming herself once more for the lack of judgment on her part when it came to believing that she and House could have gone the distance, hoping that with Kevin she had finally found a man worthy of all the she and Rachel had to offer….even if there was still the unknown story of his past looming over them currently.

########################################################################################

It was close to ten pm when Cuddy's cell phone beside her bed began to ring as she lay under the covers, unable to sleep and currently staring up at the ceiling as the guilt over her failed relationship with House and the effect it had on Rachel continued to haunt her.

Turning on her side to retrieve the phone she did however smile as she looked down at the caller ID.

"Hi." She answered softly into the phone, lying on her back once more.

"Hi." Kevin replied back to her as he stood out on the hotel balcony of the room he was staying in.

The room was located on the four floor. The city before him….lit up and still buzzing with life during the hot summer night in July.

"You sound tired." Cuddy said to him after hearing the weariness in his voice.

"I'm ok. Just working hard so I can come home on Friday." He told her with a small smile as he watched the headlights of the cars passing by him on the nearby highway.

Cuddy smiled as well. Her free hand caressing her stomach as she listened to Kevin's voice on the other line.

"Rachel misses you so much. She asked about you again tonight, just like she has ever since you left." She told him, leaving out the part about her daughter's fears as she did not want to give them anymore strength than they already had over her child.

"Is she the _only one _missing me?" Kevin asked her teasingly in a soft whisper, of course unaware of Lisa's concerns.

Cuddy bit down on her bottom lip, comforted by the tone of his voice and that easy going nature of his that was coming thru the other end of the line just now.

"Well….I guess there may be _one_ other person who misses you too." She whispered back to him, wishing he was here with her now, wishing that he had already told of her about his past so that they could start to move forward again.

"I miss you too." Kevin confessed to her with a longing in his voice that was felt by her across the miles as his eyes now moved past the cars on the freeway and towards the mountains that separated them.

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It was exactly three am on Friday morning when Kevin Bennet was lying on top of the king sized bed inside of his hotel room with his eyes closed and his breathing steady and deep.

After hanging up with Lisa last night, he quickly has stripped out of his clothes, wearing only his boxer briefs as he climbed into bed and was quickly pulled into a dreamless sleep.

Both his mind as well as his body were completely exhausted by the thirteen hour days he was putting in on the job site in order to assure that his project would be a success, and that he would be able to return to Princeton as promised by Friday evening.

Now, as the hand on the watch resting on the nightstand beside him swept by another second, the silence inside his dormant brain was broken by the sound of a child crying.

Kevin's sleeping body jerked. The child's voice recognized by him in an instant as it belonged to Rachel Cuddy.

Inside of his subconscious mind, he suddenly found himself standing inside Edgewood Park once more and on the path that would eventually lead him to where he and Lisa had danced underneath the summer sky.

However, the landscape of the park had changed as the tall oak trees that had lined the pathway were replaced by old rotting pines, backed up by a deep, thick forest where rolling hills of grass should have been. The only light in the sky above him now, a haunting full moon with a group of billowy gray clouds passing by it slowly so as not to wake the evil that haunted this place.

"_This is wrong_." Kevin whispered to himself, watching as his breath formed into a cloud before him and the frigid night air began to seep through his clothing and into his skin.

He was dressed just as he had been the night of his first date with Lisa. His white cotton shirt and khakis, no match for the bitter cold now surrounding him.

Again he heard the sounds of Rachel's cries as he stood at the beginning of the pathway that led into utter darkness.

He started to run….as fast and as hard as he could towards the voice. The path seeming to grow longer with each step he took. His lungs now burning from the raw, cold air that was filling them with its poison.

"I'm coming Rachel!" He yelled back at her hoarsely as the freezing air raked his throat, his eyes burning from the bitter wind that was now swirling around him as he strained to see the next step in front of him.

The darkness was now swallowing him whole, the tall trees above him bowing down towards the path he was taking and cutting out the glow of the moonlight.

Just as the darkness grew even deeper, leaving him only a few inches of visibility, Rachel's cries came to him once more.

She was close, he was sure of it, and so he pushed himself to run even faster, feeling the muscle of his legs starting to turn into jelly, breathing raggedly through his mouth with his heart ready to burst inside of his chest when suddenly, and without warning...he reached a clearing in the path where the moonlight was able to penetrate the darkness.

"No." He whispered, spotting Rachel kneeling before Lisa who was lying on the ground as he staggered towards them both. His throat and lungs damaged by the icy fingernails of the cold air which had reeked havoc on them.

"You should have come with us." Rachel told him in a mournful wale as her reached them, her small round face streaked with a trail of tears as she looked up at him while holding onto her dead mother's hand.

"No…this is not happening!" Kevin shouted in anguish, dropping to his knees beside Rachel and gathering up Lisa up into his arms as her lifeless eyes stared back him.

"Lisa no…..." He cried out in vain, caressing her face with her body already becoming stiff from the life that had been taken from her.

She was covered in blood, which was forming into small crystals of crimson ice, coating her skin. Her throat had been ripped wide open, her clothes torn to shreds and just barely hanging onto her corpse as her legs and arms bore the lacerations and bite marks of a vicious attack.

"You should have come with us!" Rachel shouted up to him as a stream of fresh tears ran down her face, her tiny body began to tremble out of control as her cries pierced the night air once more.

"Rachel no...I didn't know..." Kevin tried to explain to the child just as he heard a low and menacing growl from the dark forest surrounding them.

His eyes moved quickly between the black outlines of the trees, his right hand immediately reaching out and pulling Rachel next to his chest as Lisa's body slid off of his knees, her corpse resting once more upon the frozen ground.

"_Jesus Christ_." He whispered at the a pair of glowing red eyes looking back at him from the darkness.

He got to his feet, holding Rachel tightly against him and getting to turn and run in the other direction just as the beast hidden within the forest walked out into the clearing.

The wolf now standing in front of him was a good four hundred pounds of pure evil, with thick black fur and a massive wide head. It's yellow teeth were bared, the salvia dripping off of its fangs, freezing as it made contact with the ground below the demon.

It took a step towards him with another low growl escaping its throat.

Kevin turned, his thighs tensed as he got ready to run with everything he had inside of him, finding himself crying out in terror as from behind him, another wolf came, leaping out of the darkness and knocking him to the ground.

Rachel rolled out of his arms, a high pitched scream escaping her mouth just as the second wolf snatched her up by the back of her shirt, carrying her off into the dark forest.

"No!" Kevin shouted, getting up onto his knees only to be knocked down back down by the first wolf.

"No! _This is not happening_!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, beating the animal now pinning him to the ground with his fists as he tried to free himself.

The stench of death rising up from the beast mouth was making him nauseous, the feel of the animal's fangs as it clamped down onto his throat a second later, causing him to cry out in sheer terror.

He couldn't breath. He couldn't move. He was at the mercy of this demon, this memory manifested into the shape of something evil that was coming to take it all away from him again.

"No...I won't let you take them..." He managed to choke out just before the wolf applied even more pressure onto his airway.

He was fading. His arms falling to his sides. His body jerking as Rachel's screams were suddenly silenced. The feel of his warm blood running down his chest causing a hot tear to run down his cheek as he heard the sickening sound of his larynx being curshed. His head fallling to the side with his gaze resting upon Lisa once more who was lying beside him.

He watched as her mouth opened while the white clouds of death remained in her eyes.

_"It's all your fault."_ Her corpse whispered over to him in a voice that was not her own but belonged to another, just before the wolf resting on top of him leap over to her, grabbing Lisa by the ankle and dragging her into the darkness from which it came.

_"Nooooooo!"_ Kevin screamed from inside the hotel room, waking up from his nightmare and sitting up straight inside the strange bed.

He was greeted by the alarming sound of his own wild breathing as his eyes were left to stare blankly at the black screen of the TV mounted on the wall across from the room his was staying in. His mind still racing from the vivid dream, his body jerking once more in surprise as the cell phone resting on the nightstand next to his watch began to ring.

A chill ran up his spine when he saw it was Lisa who was calling him.

"Hello?" He answered in a shaky voice before quickly closing his mouth in an effort to stifle his rapid breathing.

"Kevin, I'm sorry to wake you but…well…..Rachel had a nightmare just now and she keeps insisting that she talks to you." Lisa explained apologetically on the other end of the line while holding her visibly upset daughter in her lap as the two of them sat in the middle of her bed.

"It's ok Lisa…put her on." Kevin told her as hiw own nightmare began to sink back into the darkness from where it came.

"Hello?" Rachel asked as she took the phone from her mother.

"Hey sweetie are you ok? Your Mommy told me you had a bad dream." He asked the child in a soft and reassuring voice.

"Noo.." Rachel initially said with a soft whimper. "I dreamed these big doggies were biting you ….." She went onto to say as her voice trembled a bit.

Kevin felt his heart stop dead inside of his chest, his mind going blank for a moment as the child's comment had left him speechless.

"Shhhh..it's ok baby." Lisa whispered to her child, holding her close as Rachel waited for Kevin to responde to her.

Kevin cleared his throat and spoke. "You saw big doggies biting me?" He questioned to Rachel, a chill ran thru his entire body which had been covered in a fine film of sweat, thanks to his nightmare.

Rachel nodded. "Yes, they were big black doggies and they were biting you! And me and Mommy where hitting them with sticks to get them off of you but they wouldn't leave you alone. They just keep biting you and dragged you away from us!" Rachel whimpered once more before she started to cry.

"Hey…shhhhh. It's ok Rachel. I'm ok..and no doggies are biting me. I'm fine and I was sleeping right here in my bed safe and before your Mommy called me." Kevin assured the child as her voice threatened to take him back into the nightmare he had just escaped.

"Are you sure?" The girl asked as she sucked in her bottom lip.

"Yes Rachel, I"m sure." Kevin repeated back to her in a calm voice.

Once more he heard Lisa comforting Rachel on the other end of the line as well. Her mother, no doubt upset in her own right at how distraught the little girl currently was.

"Rachel sweetie, I need you to listen to me ….everyone is safe ok? I'm not hurt and I'll be coming to see you very soon." He then added, for the child's sake as well as his own.

"Will you come back now?" The little girl asked as she kept the phone pressed tightly to her small ear.

Kevin closed his eyes, picturing Rachel's small worried face. "I'm sorry Rachel...I can't right now, but I promise I'll be back tomorrow and then on Saturday, we'll all do something fun together. Ok?" He said to her softly.

"Like going camping again?" Rachel asked immediately as a small smile returned to her face.

"How about a trip to the zoo instead?" Kevin offered to her as a small smile made it's way onto his face as well.

He heard the little girl gasp in delight and his heart was immediate lifted.

"Mommy! Kevin said we can go to the zoo when he gets back!" Rachel informed her mother with grin.

Cuddy smiled back down at her daughter, relieved that her child was now happy once more.

"That sounds like so much fun." She agreed.

"Now would please give me the phone so I can talk to Kevin?" Cuddy added.

Rachel nodded. "Bye, Kevin. I miss you." She then said quickly into the phone before kissing it and handing it up to her mother.

"Thank you so much for talking to her." Lisa said softly into the phone as Rachel snuggled into her chest.

"Don't worry about it Lisa…. I'm just glad I could help." Kevin replied, picturing her face filled with life and all of its breathtaking beauty as the need to get back home and tell her the truth about his past was now more urgent than ever.


	20. Chapter 20

**Ok guys…here we go. Things are going to get very interesting from here on out. Hope you enjoy the chapter…**

**Chapter 20**

"Kevin?" The middle aged foremen, with salt and pepper hair, and who was currently sitting inside of a construction trailer asked after not getting an answer from his boss the first time.

"I'm sorry Mark. What did you say?" Kevin replied back to him, having been lost in thought over the nightmare he experienced earlier this morning and before the sun had come out and shown its face.

The two men were seated across from one another at small table inside of a construction trailer. Going over some blueprints that Mark had just placed in front of them both.

"The revision we did on the third floor. You're ok with it right?" Mark asked while pointing down to the blue prints resting on the table top.

Kevin's eyes lowered to the drawing, studying it for a few seconds before he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, this looks good, Mark. Tell the crew to start on this first thing Monday morning." He instructed.

The foremen nodded back to him in recognition before opening his mouth to speak.

"You know Kevin, you should really try and get some rest before you head back to Princeton later. You look like you haven't slept in a week." He commented over to the owner of the company as his eyes studied the younger man's tired features.

Kevin let out a soft laugh. "You should talk Mark, considering it looks like you haven't slept in a month yourself." He joked back the man as they both got up from the table and walked towards the front door of the trailer.

"Ok, ok I get it. We're both too driven and stubborn for our own good. Anyway, have a safe trip home and I'll keep you up to date on how things are going from here on out." Mark said before reaching for the doorknob and leaving the trailer.

Standing alone inside of the construction trailer Kevin ran his fingers through his hair, letting out a long, drawn out sigh.

He was exhausted. Finding himself unable to go back to sleep after the nightmare he had experience earlier this morning, and even though he really should take Mark's advice and try and get a few hours a sleep after he wrapped up here before heading back to Princeton, he had already made up his mind to get on the road as soon as possible once his commitments at the job site were through.

The memories that had come to haunt him where far to close for comfort now. His only saving grace to strip them of there new found power would be to get back to Princeton and tell Lisa about his past, hoping she would understand about the sins he still carried with him to this day.

###########################################################################################

It was late Friday afternoon and around five pm when House limped back over to his office after hiding out inside of Wilson's office for hours.

He had spent most of the day playing video games, surfing the net for porn and of course making sure he also got a good nap in as well right after lunch.

He should have been proud over his accomplishments, considering he was basically getting paid that entire day to goof off. However and to the contrary, all of his antics had secretly been underlined with the hope that Cuddy would come looking for him so he could at least get see her again, even if it was only to hear her yelling at him as any emotion coming from her at this point was better than none at all.

Of course he was still hurt and angry over what she had said to him during their big blow up inside her office on Saturday, but that didn't dull the aching need to see her. To talk to her or yell at her …or _whatever_. Just to know there was still a part of her that did indeed still care for him on some level.

As he reached the door to his office, House shook his head in frustration. He wasn't good at this kind of stuff and she knew it. Wasn't capable of dealing with all the tangled webs that love and hurt can sometimes bring to a person let alone the newly added complication of Kevin Bennet entering into Cuddy's life. Which was of course his most serious threat of all as the man had apparently established a very strong connection with her in a very short amount of time.

There was no doubt in his mind that Cuddy _was _falling for the guy and thinking about it again caused him to pause for a moment after entering inside of his office.

He never thought he could be replaced so quickly, the way Cuddy had found something in this man that drew her into him hard and fast…something he was _completely_ unprepared for.

And so….like any man who sees a wolf circling what he considers to be his, House had gotten in contact with a another man who was willing to start digging into Kevin Bennet's past for him.

The private investigator was someone that Lucas had spoke to him about on occasion before he had become Cuddy's weird boyfriend. This man supposedly a younger and very ambitious version of Lucas, who was willing to do anything for price.

House had waited a good two weeks before he finally got a call from his guy today. Telling him he had found some dirt on Kevin and that he would be dropping off an envelope in his office later this afternoon.

Looking over at his desk, House immediately spotted the manila envelope, glad that his entire team had all been assigned clinic duty by Cuddy and therefore had not been in the adjacent conference room when the envelope had been delivered.

House made his way over to the desk and sat down behind it. Grabbing the envelope and pausing for a moment before opening it, knowing that depending on what he found in the envelope, he could very well be rid of Kevin Bennet for good.

The thought made him smile. Something he hadn't done a lot of lately ever since his breakup with Cuddy.

Using his thumb and index finger he undid the clasp on the envelope. Telling himself that once he got rid of the pesky JFK junior look-a-like... he could start to try winning Cuddy back again. Telling himself that _this time_ it would be different. That this time he would try to be all that she needed him to be.

As he pulled out the contents from inside the envelope he was not disappointed by what he found. His smile growing wider as his eyes scanned over the documents.

"Gotcha." House whispered to himself with great satisfaction.

##########################################################################

Cuddy was packing up her briefcase for the night inside of her office when House walked through her door, carrying a large envelope in his left hand.

"If you came in here to fight with me, I suggest you turn around and leave." She told him flatly, wanting to get home and see Rachel, knowing that it would only be few short hours before Kevin would be with them both again.

"I didn't come here to fight. I came in here to give you this." House told her in a calm voice while handing her the manila envelope.

"What is this?" Cuddy asked him suspiciously as she took the envelope from him.

"A little something I like to call...if it looks too good to be true, it probably is." He replied back to her casually.

Again Cuddy shot him a suspicious look.

"Just open it." He told her impatiently.

"Why should I?" She challenged back to him.

He looked at her for a moment, choosing his words carefully.

"Because, even though you may think I'm an ass, I do still care about you." He replied, making sure to keep his voice as sincere as possible, even though of course _his_ best interest were about to be served as well, thanks to what the private detective had uncovered.

Cuddy studied his face for a moment before giving him the benefit of the doubt.

"Ok." She said, opening up the envelope and pulling out the sheets of paper within it, including the photo resting on top.

In an instant she was greeted by a mug shot of Kevin Bennet. His face, twenty or so years younger in the picture than it was today . His eyes... lifeless and dull, resembling a mannequin postured inside a store window. He had several nasty abrasions and bruising on his right cheek and forehead. His bottom lip was swollen with a faint trace of blood around the corner of his mouth.

"I….I don't understand." Cuddy whispered as she read the charges typed out beneath the mug shot, feeling her heart starting to beat rapidly inside of her chest.

"Lisa? Hey, I back early and so I thought ….." Kevin started to say, entering into her office and finding her standing beside House with some papers in her hands.

She looked up at him as if she had just seen a ghost. Her eyes wide with shock, her hands gripping onto the papers tightly.

"What's wrong?" Kevin asked with his next breath as started to walk up to where she and House were standing in front of her desk.

House gave him a small, evil smile. "Allow me explain this to you Kevin. You see….Lisa's very upset right now because she just found you're a felon who was charged on two counts of aggravated assault with intent to commit murder." House responded back to him with a hint of enjoyment in his tone as he watched the man before him take in a sharp breath.

Kevin looked back at House stunned, his mind now racing back to that place in time so long ago. The place where nothing but pure unbridled rage had taken over him.

"Kevin, is this true?" Cuddy asked him as her voice filled with confusion and hurt, her eyes searching his own as she wished it not to be true even though the evidence was now resting between her trembling hands.

"Lisa, I can explain….." Kevin started to say, taking a step towards her only to be halted by House's cane as he brought it up to his chest.

"Actually Kevin, thanks to your mug shot and police record, I don't think Lisa really needs an explanation." House told the man coldly before snatching the papers out of Cuddy's hands and turning them around for him to see.

Staring down at the photo, Kevin instantly felt himself be dragged further into the past as the sound of a women crying out to him in absolute despair and misery radiated through his brain. The ordeal she endured so very long ago ripping through his soul once more as her memory was reborn inside of his mind.

"House stop!" Cuddy yelled, trying to take the mug shot from him after seeing how the color had drained from Kevin's face. The man who had comforted her only a few short nights ago, now seemingly a million miles away from her and trapped inside his own private hell.

"You're seriously not defending this creep are you?" House growled back at her, preventing her from taking the papers from him by taking hold of her arm and pulling her behind him as he stepped in front of her, blocking her from getting any closer to Kevin as he now stood toe to toe with his rival.

"Don't you touch her!" Kevin shouted as his past mixed in with the present. His arm snapping back in an instant with his hand balled into a fist before it snapped into action with the quickness and force of a cobra

The punch landed squarely on House's jaw. The impact, emitting a loud thud, the force of the blow sending the diagnostician falling backwards into the bookshelf inside of Cuddy's office before he fell to floor.

"Kevin stop!" Cuddy yelled at him, grabbing hold of his arm as he took a step towards House who was lying dazed and confusion on the office floor below him.

Kevin's eyes darted immediately over to Lisa, his face changing in an instant as if she had just woken him up from a bad dream.

"I'm sorry." He said to her in a hush voice, his eyes lowering to where she was holding onto his bicep.

As if he were touching the delicate wings of a butterfly, Kevin carefully removed her hand from his arm, his hand shaking uncontrollably as he did so.

"I'm so sorry, Lisa." He whispered to her again in a voice that was lost and unsure of what to do next before he turned and left her office, passing by another physician he remembered seeing House with inside of the cafeteria.

Walking past Kevin Bennet, Wilson glanced over at the him briefly before heading inside of Cuddy's office.

"What the hell just happened?" Wilson asked a second later as he found Cuddy standing silently inside of her office in a state of shock as House was reaching for his cane as he got to his feet, apparently knocked to the ground by Kevin, with his bottom lip beginning to swell.


	21. Chapter 21

**Hi everyone! Well, I finally had time to write so here's another chapter for you to enjoy. I hope to have at least one more chapter up this week and possibly two depending on how things go ;)**

**Chapter 21**

"Make sure House is ok." Cuddy said to Wilson, handing him the papers House had given to her before grabbing the briefcase on her desk and getting ready to leave.

"What the hell are you doing?" House asked to her, getting to his feet once more.

Cuddy turned back in his direction. "I'm going to try and catch up to Kevin so we can talk about this." She informed him sharply.

House looked back at her as if she was nuts. "You can't be serious? It's obvious that guy is some kind of whack job with anger issues. Or did you just miss what happened in your office/" He argued back to her as his temper flared once more.

Meanwhile beside them both Wilson was now studying the papers Cuddy had given to him a few minutes ago.

"Cuddy, I think House is right…." The oncologist started to say, looking up from Kevin's mug shot.

"Both of you shut up!" Cuddy ordered before focusing her attention back on House.

"Do you have any idea what _you_ look like on paper?" She then challenged to him, hurt and angry over his invasion into Kevin's personal life as an effort to try and destroy her new relationship.

House gave her a short, sarcastic laugh. "You can't possible even begin to compare me to that..." He started to say to her.

"Addiction to vicodin, forgery, breaking and entering, theft of narcotics from Princeton Hospital and most recently ….self admitted into a mental hospital after a nervous breakdown." Cuddy rattled off to him, rendering both House and Wilson speechless for the moment.

House took a step closer to her as his jaw clenched. "You have _no right_ to try and twist things around ….." He whispered under his breath harshly to her, pointing a finger at her as he felt himself losing ground in their argument.

Cuddy looked up at him unimpressed as she rested a hand on her hip. "I'm not twisting things around and you know it. I'm just showing you what an ass you're being by dismissing your own behavior in the past while dragging Kevin through the mud simply because I'm dating him now instead of you." She shot back in her defense.

She was in no mood to tiptoe around their past anymore. Not after his latest stunt. Needing no more than ever to make it loud and clear to him that she was moving on…...whether he was ready for her to do so or not.

House rubbed his hand over the coarse hairs of his beard before he spoke again. "You know I'm right about this Cuddy, even if you don't want to hear it. This guy is bad news and you're onlyl gonna end up getting hurt." He replied back to her, his voice now softening a bit as he went for a new angle in their current conversation.

Cuddy studied his face for a few brief seconds, wondering if House even knew how close he had come to being everything she had wanted. Knowing, as she looked into his eyes that his soft spoken words to her just now were only a means to keep her tethered to the hope that _someday_ he would truly open up to her, becoming a partner with her in every sense of the word.

"I'm sorry House... but unlike you, I'm not going to stop going after what I want just because I've been hurt in the past." She replied back to him simply before she turned and left her office.

###########################################################################################################################

After exiting her office, Cuddy quickly pulled out her cell phone and tried to call Kevin, making her way towards the parking garage in hopes of finding him there.

The phone rang five times before going to voicemail.

"Kevin, it's Lisa…..please call me so we can talk." She said into the phone before reaching the elevator and pressing the button that would take her down to the parking garage.

As the elevator doors opened, she spotted Kevin's red pickup truck leaving the parking garage in a hurry, knowing she was too late to try and stop him.

#########################################################################################################

"She's completely off her rocker." House muttered over to Wilson as he got ready to leave Cuddy's office.

Letting out a sigh, Wilson handed the papers Cuddy had given him back to House as they both turned towards the door.

"House, did you ever think that maybe you're pushing Cuddy right into this guy's arm by acting this way?" He over questioned to his friend with concern.

House gave him an annoyed glance. "In case you missed what jsut transpired in here a few minutes ago, Cuddy's falling for this guy _regardless_ of my attempts to stop her."

"I just think you need to step back and let Cuddy figure out things on her own." Wilson stressed while opening the door for them both.

"I can't do that." House replied back to him bluntly.

Wilson came to a halt, holding the door open instead of heading out of the office behind his friend.

"Are you honestly afraid Cuddy's going to end up marrying this guy?" He asked with surprise.

House turned around to face him. "I don't care if she marries this guy. _But I do care _if she falls in love him and it sticks. Because up until then… I still have a chance to get her back." He clarified to his friend, now even more concerned over Cuddy's behavior and what it meant for their future.

#######################################################################################################

Several hours later, Cuddy was pacing the floor inside of her living room while biting down on one of her perfectly manicured nails.

She still hadn't heard back from Kevin, even though she had tried calling him at least a dozen times after the incident inside of her office. She had even driven over to his place after leaving the hospital, hoping to find him there, but when she had pulled up into the driveway, she found the house was completely dark and with no signs of either Kevin or his truck that was usually parked out in front.

Thankfully, she had been able to put on a brave face for Rachel when she arrived home afterwards, telling the little girl Kevin had to work a bit longer than expected but that they would be seeing him soon.

She hoped her words to her child would end up ringing true and that eventually Kevin _would_ call her back so that they could talk about his past and start to work through whatever it would mean for them as a couple. However, as the clock inside of her living room announced the arrival of ten pm, she felt her heart start to sink a little lower, wondering if she was already losing what she had been so surprised to find in the first place.

As swiftly as the doubt had moved into her mind it was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone on the coffee table.

She picked up the phone. Answering it immediately even though she did not recognize the number.

"Hello?"

"Lisa?" A woman's voice asked.

"Yes, who is this?" Cuddy questioned.

"Lisa…..this is Kevin's sister Samantha. I just got off the phone with my brother a little while ago and he wanted me to call you."

Cuddy let out a small sigh of relief. "Is he ok?" She then asked without delay.

There was a slight pause on the other end of the line.

"Kevin's ok…..he's just a little shaken up over how you found out about his past." Samantha confessed to her.

Cuddy raised her eyes to the ceiling, shaking her head. "Samantha, please let Kevin know that I'm truly sorry about that." She replied with regret.

"Kevin said you'd end up apologizing… even though it wasn't your fault." Samantha responded.

The tone of her voice made Cuddy feel a little better as it held no ill will or resentment towards her.

"Is Kevin at his place now? Because I'd really like to go and see him tonight so we can talk about this." Cuddy asked with her next breath.

Again there was another pause.

"He's not there Lisa ….and honestly. I'm not sure when he'll be back." Samantha told her hesitantly as she stared out into the backyard of her home.

Cuddy felt a shiver of anxiety run up her spine. "Please Samantha. I need to talk to Kevin so I can understand what all of this is about." She pleaded with a bit of urgency to her voice.

From the other side of the line, Cuddy heard Samantha let out a soft sigh before she spoke.

"I promised Kevin I wouldn't tell you but…" She started to say, pausing yet again before continuing.

"Kevin's staying up at a cabin that's been in our family for years. It's about a three hour drive from here and located in the middle of nowhere, so ...if I give you the directions, you've got to _promise_ me you won't head out there until the morning." Samantha explained to her with great importance….hoping she was making the right decision about telling Lisa where her brother was.

"I promise I'll stay put until morning." Cuddy assured her without delay while walking quickly towards the kitchen in order retrieve a piece of paper and pen.

####################################################################################################

"Mommy please can I come with you?" Rachel asked the next morning as Cuddy held her in her arms while Marina looked over at them both.

"I'm sorry honey, you can't. But I promise as soon as I get home we'll do something fun…just the two of us." Cuddy replied before kissing her daughter on the cheek.

"Can Kevin come too?" Rachel asked with a soft whisper.

"I'm sure he'd love to come." Cuddy answered as the need to find Kevin and get them back to where they were before everything fell apart was now tugging relentlessly at her heartstrings.


	22. Chapter 22

**Ok, it's going to be a busy couple of days for me so I'm not sure when I'll post the next chapter but here's one to tide you over till then.**

**Chapter 22**

Nearly three hours into the car trip that was taking her deeper and deeper into a dense forest located in Northwestern New Jersey, Cuddy looked out of the windshield and towards the looming mountains before her.

She should be coming to a crossroads any minute now according the directions Samantha had given to her and would need to go straight once she reached a dirt road where the macadam ended.

About an hour ago she had passed a state park and had also spotted a few houses nestled between the outcropping of evergreens, but for the last thirty minutes or so she had seen no other signs of civilization.

Driving slowly on what was left of the paved road, she could easily understand why Samantha insisted she waited until morning to head up here as the wilderness surrounding her was now as endless as the summer sky above her.

Reaching the crossroads where she would leave pavement behind her for dirt road in front of her, Cuddy put her car into park. Rolling down her window for a moment and immediately being greeted by the hot, sticky air of the summer day along with the steady hum of cicadas hiding in the tall grass lining the roadway.

The temperature was supposed to get up to ninety-five degrees today, but inside of the forest it was a good five degrees cooler…. even though the humidity remained.

Peering up at the mountians once more Cuddy hoped Kevin would be ok with her coming up to see him. Praying he was missing her as much as she was missing him and felt the same urge to resolve whatever truth he needed to tell her about his past.

Pushing out a short breath between her lips, Cuddy then rolled up her window, slowly pressing her foot onto the accelerator next and easing the vehicle onto the dirt road before her.

Twenty minutes later she was driving along a winding dirt road before the sky above her suddenly turned threateningly dark, choking out the sun and sending down a loud clap of thunder that made her flinch inside the car as it rumbled through the tall trees surrounding her on all sides.

Taking in a deep breath…..Cuddy pushed on, maneuvering her car down a small hill and around a sharp curve which was leading her towards a small valley that mother nature had carved into the west side of the mountain.

Just as the road had straightened out once more the pregnant storm clouds above her suddenly gave birth to the water they had been heavy with. The rain beginning to fall in large, fat drops with violent rhythm. Drumming into the top and hood of her car as the cold front collided with the humid summer air, rendering her visibility to almost nothing.

"You're going to be fine." Cuddy whispered to herself as her fingers gripped tighter onto the steering wheel.

She slowed the car down even more than before until the speed on the dashboard read a mere ten miles per hour, her wiper blades now swinging back and forth furiously as they tried to stave off the steady stream of water.

The dry and lifeless dirt road beofre her was now being brought to life, forming into a soupy mud, her tires losing their grip a moment later and slipping into a deep rut just as she reached the bottom of the hill.

She panicked at first, turning the wheel sharply which caused the vehicle to verve off of the road and towards the trees on her left.

"Easy." Cuddy warned herself, biting down on her bottom lip as she laid off the gas, carefully turning the steering wheel back towards the road just as something moving off in the distance between a small grouping of hemlock trees caught her eyes.

She had spotted a white flash of color, visible for only a few seconds at a time before being cloaked within the green branches of the hearty and full hemlocks.

Keeping her eyes fixated on the object she put the car into park as she studied the it further. Her racing as second later as she watched Kevin emerging from the hemlocks, running through the tall, wild grass being swept back and forth by the angry thunderstorm.

He was about thirty or so feet from her, wearing a white t-shirt and navy shorts and running through the forest at top speed. No doubt trying to get back to the cabin as the sudden storm continued to build in strength.

The blinding rain was keeping him from looking to his left and spotting her down the road as her car was somewhat hidden by the overgrowth of ferns and small saplings surrounding it.

Before Cuddy knew what she was doing she was out of the car and running towards him. The rain beating down on her skin and soaking her to the bone in an instant, her eyes blinking away the pelting raindrops as she watched Kevin stop dead in his tracks after noticing her, a look of shock spreading across his face in an instant as the hairs on her arms stood on end while electricity filled the air and a lightning bolt cut across the sky above them just as she reached him.

"Lisa, what are you doing here?" He yelled to her over through raging thunder as they stood face to face inside of the hostile storm.

He was soaked to the core, his eyes wide, his hair drenched, and his t-shirt stuck fast to him like a second skin as his chest heaved from the strain he had been putting on his body to make it back to cabin.

"I had to see you!" Cuddy yelled back at him, flinching once more when another clap of thunder echoed through the sky above them.

She was now completely soaked as well, her dark hair sticking fast to the sides of her neck as the rain continued to pummel them both.

Kevin reached out to her in an instant, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close, feeling his heart racing even faster inside of his chest from a response that had nothing to do with the thunder and lightning above them.

"Come on! Let's get back to your car before things get even nastier around here!" He yelled over told her.

They ran quickly towards the Lexus and away from the raging storm with Kevin taking the driver's seat as Cuddy slid into the passenger side beside him.

Without saying a word to her, Kevin put the car into drive, starting to guide the sedan slowly down the slick, muddy road before them.

"So I take it Sam went ahead and told you where I was anyway, even though she promised me she wouldn't." He commented over to her in low whisper while keeping his eyes on the road in front of them.

"Please don't be mad." Cuddy replied back softly to him as she reached out and placed her hand on his foreman.

Kevin gave her a quick glance as the rain continued to come down in buckets, wondering it she knew the power in her gentle touch.

"I'm not mad." He told her as the car continued to crawl down the road.

"I'm sorry about what House did..." Cuddy started to say next, unsure of exactly what was going on inside of his head right now.

"You don't need to apologize for that ass." Kevin remarked over to her, his eyes remaining glued onto the road as the cabin slowly came into view.

Following his gaze, Cuddy looked out of the windshield. Spotting the modest, one story structure encased in a roughed sawed pine siding.

The wood grain of the cabin was now a weathered shade of gray after countless years of exposure to the elements. The roof of the cabin extending over a small deck that looked out onto a sprawling meadow.

"Ready to make a run for it?" Kevin asked her from the driver's seat a second later as he put the car into park and removed the keys from the ignition.

Cuddy nodded before unlatching her seatbelt and reaching for the door handle to her right.

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"The storms up here can get pretty nasty but we're ok now." Kevin said to Cuddy after they had made their way inside of the dimly light cabin and he had closed the door behind them.

The air inside of the cabin was cool. The only light filtering into the space, coming from two small windows on opposite sides of the living room they were now standing in.

Kevin reached behind Cuddy, flicking on the light switch that aided in further illuminating the area around them.

There was a stone fireplace resting on the far wall of the living room and in front of the fireplace a worn, leather bound sofa had been placed. Off to the right of the fireplace sat a rocking chair. Which appeared to have been handed down through the ages. On the hardwood pine floor in front of the fireplace was a heavy oval rug.

The sound of the rain falling hard onto the roof above them created a sudden and awkward moment of silence between them as they stood facing it other with neither of them knew exactly how to proceed next.

"Let me get you something dry to wear and I'll start a fire to help chase away the chill in the air for now." Kevin offered to Cuddy a second later, still shocked to find her here with him.

"I'll be fine." Cuddy assured him, noticing only now how truly worn out and teetering on the edge of exhaustion Kevin looked, standing before her with a day's worth of stubble on his face and his eyes slightly red and tired, no doubt from a lack of sleep.

Kevin took a step closer to her, reaching out and placing his hand on her hip, causing Cuddy take in a sharp breath from the contact.

"You're soaked clean through and you're shivering." He whispered down to her, brushing his thumb across her cheek before taking her by the hand and leading her past the living room, thru the kitchen and towards the bedroom in the back of the cabin.

Once inside they were inside of bedroom he let go of her hand, opening up the middle drawer to the handmade cherry dresser resting beside the queen sized bed inside of the room with a matching cherry headboard.

He then pulled out a few articles of clothing from inside of dresser before he turned to face her once more.

"Here….I know it's not much… but at least you'll be dry." Kevin told her while handing her one of his t-shirts and a pair of his running shorts.

"Thank you." Cuddy replied back to him softly, feeling a pulsing wave of energy rushing through her entire body now that she was in his presence once more.

He nodded at her. "You're welcome I'll get you a towel so you can dry off before I start a fire." He added before leaving the room.

As Kevin went into the bathroom, Cuddy found herself studying her surroundings and wondering why Kevin would pick this place to retreat to after House had confronted him with his past. Asking herself if this cabin had any bearing on Kevin's love of the outdoors. If maybe he had come here because of some fond memories that were of comfort to him.

"Here, I'll go ahead and let you get changed." Kevin informed her a few seconds later as he entered back into the room, handed her towel before turning and closing the door behind him.

Cuddy placed the clothes Kevin had given to her on top of the bed along with the towel and began taking off her cold, wet clothes, shivering once more as the cool air inside of the cabin made contact with her skin, prompting her to reach for the towe as she started to dry off her body.

She really hoped Kevin was ok about her coming here. Considering that he had already been unfairly blindsided by House before her unannounced arrival in only the span of a few hours.

However, no matter how out of sorts Kevin may at the moment and in spite of whatever anxiety he may be feeling currently, it did not go unnoticed by her that his number one priority after seeing her had been making sure she was taken care of as he had reacted without delay to ensure she was safe from the fierce storm outside of the cabin which continued its onslaught of driving rain, howling wind, roaring thunder and bright lighting.

She couldn't help but smile over the way he was taking care of her now as she stared to put on the clothes he had given to her.

Of course is not like she _needed_ anyone to take care of her, as she had been fiercely independent ever since the tender age of thirteen. But knowing that someone _wanted_ to take care of her without her asking? W_ell_…that was something she had not experienced in a very long time. And…she had to admit, it was something that she truly had missed, knowing that a man could want to comfort her just as much as he wanted her sexually as well.

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Crouching down next to the stone fireplace, Kevin felt a shiver run up his spine as he struck a match, placing it next to the crumpled up newspaper resting below a small pile of dry kindling that was resting below a few bigger pieces of wood.

For now he ignored his own need to get out of his wet clothes as he held is hand steady, watching as the small flame of the match spread onto the paper, reaching up to the thin strips of wood next as it grew in size.

Dropping the match down into the small fire he stood up, turning around and startled to find Lisa standing before him.


	23. Chapter 23

**Well somehow I managed to get another chapter done. First, I want to thank everyone one for reading and for the reviews. It's great to hear about how many of you are shipping Cuddy&Kevin now :) Ok ...read on and enjoy...the secrets of Kevin past will now be revealed.**

**Chapter 23**

"Here." Lisa said, handing the towel back to Kevin as he looked down at her, apparently surprised by her presence.

"I guess I should get changed too." He responded back to her in an instant, moving past her and heading down the hallway before she could even respond to him.

Lisa frowned as he left. Knowing his nerves must be rubbed raw at the moment from all that had gone on during the past several hours. Hoping she hadn't jeopardized things between them by coming up here unannounced before he may be ready to talk to her about his past.

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Walking back into the living room after changing into a pair of blue jeans and a grey t-shirt, Kevin found Lisa sitting on the couch with her body turned slightly sideways.

Her legs were pulled up so that her calves now resttes against her thighs. And….as always….the sight of her succeeded in taking his breath away.

Without any further delay he sat down beside her, clearing his throat as Lisa rested her gaze upon him.

"Remember during our first date when I told you about Carolyn and how I had been so focused on my career?" He asked her.

"Yes." Cuddy replied to him.

"Well…there's a reason I became so emotionally unattached not only to the women in my life but…. to my family as well." He prefaced for her, resting his hands on his thighs while looking over at her.

"Ok." Lisa replied with a nod, focusing all of her attention on him as the heat from the fire began to warm her skin.

Kevin shifted his gaze from her after the acknowledgement, looking down at his hands as he clasped them together, preparing to let the ghosts from his past back into his life once more.

"When I had been a junior in college I was dating a girl name Allison Baker. We had been seeing each other for about a year and half when it happened." He started to say before he suddenly stopped for a moment, closing his eyes as he prayed for the strength to get through the painful story.

Seeing him struggling, Lisa reached out and touched his arm.

"Don't." He pleaded to her softly, watching as her faced filled with confusion.

"I don't deserve your sympathy….trust me." He explained to her as the guilt started to rise up into his heart once more.

"I'm not giving you sympathy. I'm here because I care about you and want to help you through this, just like you did when I had that fight with House." She argued back to him softly, gently rubbing his arm.

Kevin watched the motion of her hand for a moment, lingering in the feel of her touch before speaking once more.

"Anyway…. shortly into my junior year in college I really started to get into the construction business after finding a part time job working for a construction company located just off campus. In time I quickly became obsessed with learning every aspect of the business and had dreams of starting my own company shortly after graduation. In no time my dreams of success started to become the only thing I cared about. I started showing up late to my dates with Allison, or ended up cancelling them all together until she finally had enough. The last straw for her had been the night we were supposed to go to a Frat party together, which I of coursed backed out of at the last minute."

Kevin paused for a second after telling her this, his hands now clasped tightly together until his knuckles were white as he readied himself to speak of the horrible things that had happened on that night so long ago.

"The night we broke up Allison came to the site I was working at and found me studying blue prints in one of the construction trailers. She was so angry at me for letting her down once again and told me that I was a selfish son of a bitch who was ruining everything good we had between us. I was so focused on what _I wanted_ I told her she was the one being selfish because in the end, I was doing this all for us so we could get married after graduation and have a future together. She didn't believe a word of it and told me she was tired of holding out hope for me returning to the person she had fallen in love with. I was so blinded by my ambition back then that I let her leave that night without saying another word to her, telling myself that once she cooled down we'd end up getting back together."

His voice was now filling with regret as his mind sunk deeper into his memories.

"We've all made mistakes in our past." She whispered over to him, trying to take ease some of the misery now present upon from his face.

As his eyes rose to meet her own, Lisa felt her heart breaking over the expression on his face right now as it told her there was far more to the story that had left him unable to forget that girl back in college….something that still haunted him to this day.

"Allison ended up going to the party without me…" Kevin began to say before his voice cracked and his eyes lowered to his hands once more.

Lisa slid her hand down from his forearm and to his right hand, freeing it from the grip of his left hand before she wrapped her fingers around his.

"Kevin…I know this is hard for you… but I'm here and I'm not going anywhere." She assured him, meaning every word she said.

Kevin let out a deep breath and nodded, squeezing her hand in silent appreciation of her act of kindness before he cast his eyes to the floor…. unable to look at her now as he open his mouth and let the demons free.

When he spoke this time, his voice had changed drastically, becoming hushed and filled with the kind of dreadfulness reserved for walking over the graves of one's past where only heartache and misery are found.

"There were two frat boys at the party that night who spiked Allison's drink with roofies and carried her upstairs after she passed out. They took turns raping her for the next couple of hours while taping the whole thing and high fiving each other over their conquest."

He wasn't sure if he had actually spoken the words aloud until he saw the expression on Lisa's face, feeling the breath being sucked out of his lungs as if he had been hit straight away in the gut. Upon her face was the look he had wanted to avoid at all cost. The one that would show her horror over what he had let happen to the girl he loved so very long ago.

Lisa felt her mouth go dry, her eyes unable to look away from Kevin now as she saw the depth of remorse and sheer agony etched into his face now. The sight of it…sending a chill throughout her entire body over the horrible tragedy he had just confessed to her even though the room had now been warmed by the fire.

"Kevin I'm so sorry…." She whispered over to him as his face remained riddled with pain.

He did not respond to he, but rather got up abruptly from the couch they were seated on, turning his back to her and balling his hands into fist as he then rested them on the wall in front of him now, placing his forehead on the wall as well, wishing he could go back and time and change it all.

Lisa immediately got up as well, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault." She whispered urgently from behind him, jumping slightly as he quickly spun around to face her.

"Yes it was! I should have gone with her! I should have been there to protect her so those bastards couldn't lay one fucking finger on her!" He replied back to her in a strained whisper, overcome by the weight of emotions currently pressing down upon his soul until he was sure they would finally drag him under, wanting to be anywhere than where he was right now.

"Kevin you can't keep beating yourself up over what was _completely_ out of your control." Cuddy told him calmly, watching as he stood before her, breathing hard and looking so incredibly lost as he wrestled with the demons inside of him.

"You don't understand. I should have _never_ let her go by herself." He replied, unable to release the guilt was clinging to him now like a second skin.

"You made a mistake, but you in _no w_ay caused those men to do what they did to Allison." Cuddy stressed gripping onto his bicep to keep him from sinking any further into his misery.

Kevin shook his head, not wanting to believe her. "I let her down, Lisa. I let everybody down. My family…Allsion's family who trusted me with her. Everyone. A man is supposed to protect his family and the people he loves and I did the exact opposite." He spat out with utter disdain for himself.

Lisa studied him for a moment as a realization came to her swiftly, making her heart start to race as she opened her mouth.

"The charges against you for assault? You went after those men, didn't you?" She questioned to him once her mind had put the pieces together.

He nodded, runnign his hand thru his hair as he let out another lough sigh.

"After I found out what happened to Allison and that she had reported the rape to the police I went to her dorm room to see her. I tried to tell her I was sorry but she would even look at me. She just screamed at me to leave and slammed the door in my face. I found out the names of the two guys who had raped Allison from a friend of mine after I left her place. I heard that they had just been picked up by the local police so I drove down to the police station…. finding both of those bastards in handcuffs, standing at the front desk and waiting to be fingerprinted. I… …..I just lost it and starting beating the living shit out of both them. It took four cops to pry me off of them… but not before I nearly killed them both, sending one of them to the hospital with a severe skull fracture while nearly choking the life out of the other son of a bitch. That's what aggravated assault charges with intent to commit murder charges were about. What House either didn't know…or…. didn't bother to tell you were those charges against me were later dropped after I appeared in court and the judge heard of the circumstances leading up to the assaults." Kevin explained to her, already preparing himself for her goodbye, knowing full well that no woman in their right mind would want to have a relationship with a man who carried such emotional baggage.

Lisa drew in her bottom lip, taking a step closer to him. "What happened to Allison?" She asked softly, instinctively knowing somehow that there was more left to the story and watching as his face became engraved with even more pain than before.

Kevin took a step back from her …needing to create a distance between them as her told her the last of his sins.

"Allison quit school and moved back in with her parents. I tried to see her, to get a hold of her anyway I could think of…. but she wouldn't talk to me. Four weeks later I found out Allison had committed suicide by overdosing on some sleeping pills. I quit school and left everything and everyone behind, working odd jobs in the construction business for cash and moving from state to state so I couldn't be found. I didn't care if I lived or died, and in fact wanted to make sure that I suffered for what I had done by not being there for Allison. I didn't eat much and slept even less, wanting to become just some nameless face in the crowd that no one knew about or cared about. That was until by chance a few years later I ran into a guy I knew in college and who's Father was good friends with my Dad. He knew about what happened to Allison and I started to make it clear to him_ I didn't want _to be found. That's when he told me that my Mom had breast cancer and the doctors weren't sure if she would make it. I went to the hospital to see her the next day. The look on her face when I walked into her room was one I'll never forget. She…she made me promise never to leave again and told me we would sort everything out together…and for the most part I have..but…I still feel guilty over the things I didn't do for Allison….for failing her when she needed me the most." He confessed to her, choking back the tears that always came when he thought about the girl who had been left alone with the wolves because of his selfishness.

"Oh god Kevin…" Cuddy started to say, reaching out for him once more while still reeling from the unimaginable heartache he had revealed to her just now.

"Lisa…please...just go. I'm not the kind of man you need in your life…not after what I've done." He whispered before turning away from her.

"No." She whispered back sharply to him, grabbing hold of his bicep once more and making him turn around to face her.

From outside the cabin a low rumble of thunder off in the distance announced the departure of the storm.

"I don't want to go." Cuddy told him softly, moving her hand up to his jaw before she kissed him tenderly on the lips.

She heard him gasp in surprise, his eyes wide and unsure of what to make of her actions.

"Lisa you don't have to…" Kevin started to protest, his hand shaking as he tried to remove hers from where it was now caressing the side of his face.

"Kevin, I know what's it's like to feel guilty over the choices you've made in the past. And I've had my fair share of dealing with complicated men who've been through enough pain to last them a lifetime. But I've never met someone who has gone through as much hell a you have and still somehow managed to come out of with the sheer will and determination you have. In fact, in the few weeks that I've know you I've seen nothing but a caring, gentle man who is trying his damdest to make everyone else around him feel loved because of what he has learned from the past…. even if he doesn't thin he's worthy of being loved in return." Lisa informed him as her eyes remained locked onto his and her hand slid down to his chest.

Kevin shook his head, afraid to hope for something he wanted so desperately right now it hurt.

"Lisa…you need time to think about this. About what my past means to you….and to Rachel." He argued, getting ready to take another step back from her.

"I don't need time to think because I already know the only thing I want right now it to be with you." Cuddy argued back to him, watching the surprise wash over his face at her words, leaning into him and kissing him softly on the lips within the next breath they shared as the need to wash away all the doubts he had about himself was imperative to her at this point.


	24. Chapter 24

**I'm as busy as ever ...but I managed to get another chapter done. I think you guys will really like it ;)**

**Chapter 24**

As Lisa began to kiss him, Kevin moved his hand up to the side of her neck, caressing her pulse with his thumb as his other hand rested on her hip, pulling her closer to him.

She felt so unbelievably good, her soft, warm body pressing against him as she kissed him in such a way that would make him love her forever. The way she had come up here searching for him, the way she had not only accepted him after is confessions to her about his past but then went above and beyond to show him how much she truly cared about him, leaving him helpless when it came to resisting her, casting away any last reservations he may have had about holding back the passion he held insideof his heart for her, finally finding himself able to show her fully how much longed for her, how holding her now made him feel like he could take on the world.

He brushed his lips against hers, kissing tenderly and slow... as if they were the first two people to create such an act between a man and a woman. Cherishing this moment for all of the magic it possessed as she opened her mouth and their tongues touched, beginning to sink quickly into the smoldering desire they had for one another that had been kept from being set aflame until now.

Cuddy's head was spinning, the way Kevin was kissing her now…. causing a pool of heat to move between her thighs. The way he was revealing how much he wanted her, how much he truly _cherished_ her by the way his was kissing her and the way his hands were touching her…. making her weak in the knees, her back making contact with the wall behind her as she found herself unsteady, overwhelmed and deliciously lost in the captivating heat they were creating together.

Kevin felt his heart beating wildly inside of his chest as she pressed herself harder against him. "Lisa…are you sure about this?" He asked her a second later, gasping for air as their lips parted, wanting to make sure he wasn't rushing things between them before she was ready.

"Yes." Cuddy whispered up to him, caressing his jaw gently before finding his lips once more and kissing him deeply.

Her hands then slid down to his sides, reaching for his t-shirt and pulling it over his head in an instant, her breath catching in her throat a moment later as he followed her lead without hesitation, taking hold of his long t-shirt that she was wearing and stripping it free from her body just a quickly.

Kevin stood motionless for a moment, drinking in the sight of her full, perfect breasts, her nipples already hard from the way they had been kissing each other, the vision of her before him, sending a rush of blood down to his groin, making him hard in an instant as her grey eyes locked onto his cool blue ones.

Cuddy closed the space between them once more kissing him as her fingertips roamed over the toned muscles of his chest, commiting the feel of his body to memory.

Kevin moved his arm around her waist, the hunger inside of him for her, gaining even more ground now, her body trembling against him as he cupped her left breast, a soft whimper of pleasure escaping from her mouth when his thumb rolled over her nipple.

Cuddy leaned into his touch, nearly out of breath as they continued to kiss, rewarded for her enthusiasm a second later, his mouth moved down to her neck, his lips placing some hot kisses on her skin before they descending even further, his warm mouth covering her nipple abd sucking on it with gently as his tongue flicked over the aching bud.

She moaned into his neck, gasping in surprise when he lifted her up by her thighs, her legs wrapping around his waist on instinct as he started to carry her back into the hallway and towards the bedroom.

She locked eyes with him once more, their kisses becoming hungrier for one another, her left hand fisting into his hair and causing him to stumble into the wall halfway down the hall.

Her legs slid down from his hips, her feet touching down on the floor once more and her back making contact with another wall, her desire for him now completely out of control as she took the opportunity to reach down and unzip his pants, pulling them roughly off of his narrow hips and past his long legs, reaching out and caressing his stiff erection through the thin cotton fabric of his boxer briefs as he planted both of his palms on opposite sides of her head.

She kissed his neck, feeling him growing even harder in her hand.

Kevin let out a groan of approval at feel of her touch, pinning her to the wall with his body, his breath hot against her neck, showering every inch of her skin that was accessible to him with kisses, lowering his head and taking turns sucking her breasts and nipping gently at each of her nipples under she let out another sweet moan.

Cuddy lifted her leg up and wrapped around Kevin's waist as she ground her hips against him, his powerful arms picking her up again just like he had before with her legs wrapping around him, his feet shuffling as his jeans stayed pooled around his ankles while he took the last few steps that would lead them to the queen sized bed.

The fell onto the mattress together with a loud thud as he remained on top of her just before he pushed himself up from her, standing beside the bed and kicking off his jeans, pulling down the briefs he was wearing before leaning forward and reaching for her, his hands trembling as he pulled off the shorts she was wearing, the both of them now left breathless, with Kevin scanning ever inch of her beautiful, naked body as he felt the heat in her gaze as she studied him in much the same manner.

In an instant he was back on top of her, kissing her deeply as his powerful thighs parted her slimmer, toned ones. Looking down at her as he prepared to enter inside of her, watching her eyes staring into his, sending a chilling down his spine, feeling her fingernails pierce the skin on his back as he started to fill her slowly with every inch of him.

Cuddy gasped, her eyes never leaving his face as Kevin hips pushed forward, arching her back as he began stretching all the parts inside of her that had ached for him. Her breathing now choppy and uneven as he started to pump in and out of her slowly, her clit throbbing as the coarse hair below his waistline rubbed against it setting off a wave of pleasure.

She bent her legs, bucking her hips up in time with his rhythm, lost in the gaze they were sharing, listening to her heart pounding inside of her head and feeling another surge of white hot electricity run through her when Kevin whispered her name, his hands latching onto her hips and titling them up a bit so he could get deeper inside of her.

"Oh god." She moaned as he made contact with her g spot, her eyes unable to look away from him as he lowered her head and kissed her, taking her breath away once more as he pumped into her over and over again.

She was done for, as all of the lovers in her past were forgotten in that moment as their bodies, now left to their own devices, created something that could nver be duplicated by another, her hands now gripping onto his shoulders as Kevin picked up the pace of his strokes, the feverish rhythm they had now arrived at ….erotic and sacred all at the same time as their foreheads touched with both of them holding nothing back from each other.

Kevin could not get enough of her, they way she was looking at him, the way he was buried deep inside of her and surrounded by tight, liquid heat, the way she was rolling her hips into him as she whispered his name, working him into a frenzy and causing him to pull her up off the bed, with his knees now pressing against the mattress as he sat back on his thighs and her pelvis now resting squarely on his lap, her knees bent as well as she straddled him, with his cock still deep inside of her.

He could tell his move had surprised and excited her all at the same time as she gasped loudly into the air surrounding them with a small smile upon her face, her hips grinding down on him in an instant and flexing in such a way that had him closing his eyes for a moment as he let out deep, masculine groan, his hands latching onto her hips once more as his eyes opened and met hers as she guiding her warm, wet pussy up and down on his shaft.

Cuddy cried out once more at the way he was able to penetrate her now in this new position, her clit pulsing from the friction of their bodies, her fingernails digging into his shoulders as every inch of her body was set on fire as their sweat mixed together, his hands sliding down to her ass and gripping hard onto her soft skin as he bucked up into her in fast, powerful strokes.

"Oh god...don't stop!" She pleaded just before she came, shuddering in his arms and feeling him tense up in return before releasing inside of her.

They stayed locked in their lovers embrace as the waves of their orgasms washed over them, Cuddy's mouth pressed against Kevin's shoulder, breathing hard and trying to catch her breath as he held her close to him with his chest heaving and his heart racing.

"What did you just do to me?" He questioned to her a few second later with a small smile, still gasping for air as she lifted her head to look up at him before he carefully lowered them both onto the bed, remaining inside of her.

"I could ask you the same thing." Cuddy replied back to him with a smile of her own, still out of breath and in a state of happy, overjoyed bliss over the amazing way they had just made love to each other for the first time.

"Well I guess since neither of us knows what just happened….. we'll definitely have to do it again." Kevin remarked back to her with a lazy smile and his eyes filled with love for her before kissing her tenderly with his right hand caressing her hip.


	25. Chapter 25

**Hi everyone! So great to hear how much everyone is loving Kuddy. Now onto even more smexiness haha.**

**Chapter 25**

A short while later, the afternoon sun was shining down once more upon a cabin tucked deep within a vast forest located in mountains of New Jersey. The songs birds, perched high on the branches of old and weathered pine trees, serenading the two lovers inside the structure as a pleasant summer day had been brought to life after the threatening, dark storm.

Lying on his side, with the sheets draped over his waist and Lisa's back pressed against his chest, Kevin lowered his lips to the side of her neck, planting a trail of tender kisses on her skin and taking in the faint scent of her perfume.

"Mmm…I could stay like this forever." Cuddy whispered with a very satisfied smile from in front of him, turning her head slightly to look back at him and smiling even more as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Sounds like a good plan to me, except for that fact that I'm pretty sure Rachel probably _does_ want her Mommy back at some point." Kevin told her with a smile of his own, shifting his weight as she rolled onto her back before he took the opportunity to move on top of her and become nestled inside of her warmth of her soft thighs once more.

Cuddy smiled up at him, caressing the side of his face with her fingertips as she gave him a small kiss.

"I don't know what I did to find a man who worries about my daughter as much as I do…..but I'm not about to question it." She joked back to him softly while her right foot traveled up the length of his calf and to his thigh.

At hearing her reply, Kevin's face changed a bit, his eyes now searching hers for something deeper that went beyond the sweet talk of lovers still trapped within their bliss.

"I take it House wasn't really into forming a relationship with Rachel?" He questioned to her, intrigued by her previous comment to him, even if it was meant to be in jest.

Cuddy frown a bit. "House tired with Rachel.….it's just not the type of person he is." She explained with a shrug of her shoulders.

Kevin studied her expression for a moment, his eyes still searching her face.

"Lisa, can I ask you something?" He then said to her softly as his eyes remained focused on hers.

"Of course." Cuddy answered, not sure of exactly what was on his mind at that point.

Kevin paused, studying her beautiful face for a moment and taking time to choose just the right words so as not to offend her or hurt her unintentionally as he spoke.

"Listen, I know I may be totally off base with this, but earlier when we were talking in the living room and you told me how felt guilty over the things you have done in your past as well, did any of that have to do with House?" He asked, watching as the frown deepened on her face.

Cuddy nodded, knowing sooner or later they would have to approach this subject but hoping it could have waited until later.

"Several years ago House was admitted to the hospital with an infarct in his leg. I was his treating physician and because of the seriousness of his condition; amputation of his leg was the best option in order to save his life. However, House refused to give consent for the amputation, saying he'd rather die before losing his leg. At the time he was dating a woman named Stacey who didn't want to lose the man that she loved over his stubbornness...and so, Stacey came to me for advice on what to do. I told her there was a third option we could try which involved cutting out the dead muscle in House's leg and leaving the limb attached in hopes that he would have enough strength to survive the surgery. Of course he did end up surviving… but he now deals with constant pain on a daily basis. I had to live with the guilt of going against his wishes as a patient and breaking the trust he had in me as a fellow physician for a very long time." She confessed to him in a soft voice.

"But eventually you did get over you guilt and somehow ended up in a relationship with House." Kevin stated back to her as his eyes continued to study her face.

Cuddy nodded, "Yes, I did." She confirmed.

"So what happened between the two of you that made it end?" He questioned, needing to know the rest of the story after hearing of Lisa's and House's long standing history together.

Cuddy looked away from him for a moment, trying to find the right words to say, feeling that small sharp pain enter into her chest when faced with the reality of what had become of the brilliant man she once loved.

"House became addicted to vicodin shortly after his surgery, he cut himself off from several people in his life, becoming bitter and cold, not wanting to go on because of the pain he was experiencing. Stacey ended up leaving him a few months later and he was miserable and alone for years after that. Then a little over two years ago, he went to rehab and got clean. He was really trying to leave all his bitterness and self destruction behavior behind him while making it clear to me at the same time he wanted to move forward with the feelings we had for each other and that we had been avoiding for years. I gave into my feelings for him because I believed he could change….but in the end, House started taking vicodin again while we were together …. and… well… I just couldn't deal with man who was using drugs to prevent himself from feeling any sort of emotional connection to me." Cuddy informed Kevin as her eyes lowered to his arm, her fingers trailing over the large, toned muscle of his bicep as she put the painful memory back into its rightful place.

Kevin looked down at her hand and then back up into her eyes as Cuddy met his gaze.

"I'm not going to tell you I'm sorry about what happened between you and House for obvious reasons. However, I will tell you that I'm going to give everything I have inside of me to make sure you never feel that type of regret with me." He told her with conviction before leaning down and kissing her softly.

Cuddy closed her eyes, running her hands up Kevin's shoulders, kissing him back with the same tenderness and affection he was giving to her before their lips parted and she was left staring into his blue eyes.

"Thank you for being so understanding about House, but I have to warn you that he's probably going to still try and pull some more stupid stunts in order to make us breakup." She then told him with a small sigh following her words.

Kevin shook his head dismissively, giving her a small smile as he placed a hand upon her hip.

"I'm not worried about House….unless he tries to get in bed with us…then _I will _kick his ass." He joked back to her with smirk, more than confident that this new and incredible connection they had found with one another was far more powerful than a man who couldn't get past his own demons in order to stay with the incredible woman lying in bed with him now.

Cuddy laughed softly at his remark before her expression changed to one more serious in nature.

"Promise me that we can always talk like this?" She then asked in a hushed whisper, wanting no secrets or lies between them that would tarnish the beauty of what they had found together.

Kevin looked down at her just as seriously.

"I promise, Lisa." He said to her without hesitation as the intentions deep inside of his heart were brought to the surface for her to see.

Cuddy rose up a bit inside the bed and kissed him, her hands set firmly on his shoulders, her heart open to everything great that they could be together.

#############################################################

"So where are we going?" Cuddy asked Kevin a half hour later as they stood inside the kitchen of the cabin.

She had now changed back into her own clothes after they had dried, watching his every move as he walked from the refrigerator to the kitchen counter.

"I told you it's a surprise." Kevin informed her with a smile, closing the lid on a wicker picnic basket that he had just gotten done packing with a few small sandwiches made out of Italian bread, turkey and cheese along with a few bottles of water for them as well.

It was while they were in bed together and after they had gotten done talking about House when he had suggested to her about having a late lunch up here in the mountains before heading back to Princeton, pleased by the smile it had brought to her beautiful face as she happily agreed.

"I'm warning you Kevin…I have ways of making people talk." Cuddy whispered up to him in a mock threat and with a pretend scowl upon her face.

Kevin grinned down at all five foot four of her, wrapping an arm around her small waist as pulled her against him.

"You certainly do have a way about you..." He whispered back to her lustfully, his mind replaying the freshly created memory of the two of them taking a shower together only a few short minutes ago that resulted in them having sex for the second time underneath the hot and soothing water.

They had started off slowly and with great care, caressing each other with soapy hands that moved over the parts of each other's bodies they wanted to become familiar with until the ache building inside of them again had become too much to bare, their bodies set on fire as Lisa had turned around inside of the shower, her back now facing him as he moved his hands up to her full, heavy breasts, cupping them and rolling her nipples between his thumbs and index fingers as her round, luscious ass began rubbing erotically against his throbbing erection.

He had then taken her from behind, gripping onto her hip and guiding himself inside of her quickly with a deep set moan as she planted her hands firmly on the walls of the shower, arching her back as she cried out with desire as he filled her completely. His wet hand then slid down over her flat stomach and to her clit, his middle finger eagerly seeking out the point of pleasure between her thighs and rubbing the little nub with just the right amount of pressure as his thigh muscles tensed and he started pumping in and out of her, enveloped inside of her incredible tight, liquid heat, finding himself gasping for air a few seconds later as she pushed back on him with a flex of her hips, allowing him drive deeper inside of her as the hot water ran down the length of her spine.

The view of her before him with her dark, wet hair clinging to her back and her supple curves and soft ass glistening from the water running over her body caused his hand to suddenly set off in a frantic rhythm over her clit, two of his fingers now jerking back and forth wildly over her sweet little nub as he drove into her harder from behind, the sound of her ass slapping against his pelvis echoing inside the shower until it was drowned out by her moans of pleasure bouncing off of the walls of the shower as her entire body trembled, soon being chased after by a deep moan escaping his own lungs as he came inside of her in the kind of way that left him dizzy and weak in the knees as he leaned against her inside the shower, holding onto her tightly as he kissed her shoulder and tried to regain his composure.

"Are you thinking about us in the shower?" Cuddy asked him knowingly after seeing his eyes glaze over shorlty after he had spoken to her, with a wide, reminiscent smile now stretched across his lips.

"Promise me you're gonna torture me until I tell you where we're going today?" He replied to her hopefully as his mind drifted back into the present while still happily having one foot inside of the memory as he lowered his lips onto hers, his large hand sliding down to her ass and cupping it tenderly at first before giving it a good squeeze.

Cuddy let out a soft moan of approval, the hunger between them seemingly never satisfied as her hands gripped onto his shoulders, her mind left to wonder how much better things could get between them when she was already floating high above the clouds over a man who was as efficient at bringing her to a mind blowing orgasm as he was at stealing her heart with the tenderness, romance and patience he possessed.

His weight pushed her back into the countertop, their kissing now slow, lingering and drenched with desire just before their lips parted and they were left staring into each other's eyes, trying to catch their breaths once more.

"We better get going or Rachel's going to be graduating college before we ever step foot outside of this cabin again." Kevin warned Lisa with a small, lustful smile, continuing to hold her close to him.

Cuddy smiled back at him while biting down on her bottom lip, her mind now replaying the way he had nearly screwed her senseless inside of the shower a few minutes ago and what a fantastic lover Kevin truly was in every sense of the word.

"Fine….but you owe me." She finally consented to him with a playful, sexy pout.

"Good thing I'm a man who makes sure to pay his debts on time." Kevin countered with a wink as he took her hand in his own.


	26. Chapter 26

**Well guy I'm back wtih another chapter and I have to say I'm so happy you are enjoying "Kuddy" in all it's glory haha. I probably won't be able to post another chapter until some time next week but I think this one should help to ease the pain of waiting ;)**

**Chapter 26**

"Wow." Cuddy whispered a short while later.

"Do you like it?" Kevin asked from beside her. Placing an arm around her hip as his other hand held onto the picnic basket he had brought here with them.

"I love it." Cuddy told him with a happy smile, being swept off of her feet once more while they remained planted firmly on the ground beneath her.

The two of them were now standing before a meadow, carpeted with wildflowers of every shape and color. To their right sat the foundations of two long ago abandoned structures, the walls that had once enclosed the space having fallen and been claimed back by the earth from where they had originally came from, leaving only the cobblestones, covered in certain spots with a light green moss to remain. To the left of the foundations was a small grove of ten apple trees placed two by two beside each other. Running beside the grove of apple trees was a small bubbling stream with a massive willow tree resting beside it, lazily dipping the tips of its branches into the cool, clear water.

"I thought we could eat our lunch under one of those apple trees." Kevin suggested to her, taking hold of her hand and thrilled that she had such a great reaction to the spot he had take her to as was evident by the ever increasing smile upon her face.

"How on earth did you ever find this place?" Cuddy asked him as they started to walk towards the trees.

Kevin reached for the quilt he had tossed over his shoulder, handing it to her to spread out onto the ground and placing the picnic basket down on the ground as well before he answered her.

"When I was around eight or nine, my family started to come up here durning the summer. Back then I had convinced myself I was going to grow up to be a famous treasure hunter and luckily my Dad thrived on adventure as well and so we set off one day, just the two of us...not reallly knowing where we were headed when we ended up finding this place."

Cuddy listened to him intently as his voice had softened, his eyes filled with all of the dreams that young boys have as the smile on his face grew wider.

"This place is so beautiful. It's no wonder you love it up here." She said to him while taking in the scent of the wildflowers in the air as the birds sang to them from the trees and the water from the stream rolled happily over the rock bed beneath it.

Kevin nodded, looking down at the ground for a moment and picking a single blade of grass from near the edge of the blanket before his eyes rose up to meet hers once more.

"Everything is so much simpler up here. There are no deadlines, or hidden agendas, or regret over the things you wished you would have done. There's only the chance to get lost something greater than yourself so you can start to believe in _yourself _again." He told her in a soft voice.

Cuddy reached over and took his hand in her own. "That was really beautiful." She said to him, impressed by how simple yet eloquent his words had been to her.

Kevin grimaced and let out a soft laugh. "Sure that it wasn't too corny?" He asked her shyly.

Cuddy couldn't help but smile over his slight embarrassment. "It was _anything_ but corny." She assured him, leaning into him and giving him a soft kiss that soon deepened as the sunlight danced among the soft peaks of water in the stream.

As their kiss ended, Kevin wrapped his arm around Lisa's waist, pulling her closer to him as he nodded over towards the two cobblestone structures off to their left.

"You see those old foundations over there? Ever since I found this place with my Dad, I started to think about the people who used to live here. Sometimes I'd imagine there were a gang of outlaws, on the run from the law and keeping their getaway horses in the barn just in case . Other times I thought about an old wizard living here, casting spells under the moonlight and taming dragons who lived deep inside of the forest." He told her, opening up to her about the boy he had once been with a whimsical grin on his face as his mind traveled back through the years and to a much simpler time in his life.

Cuddy listened to him speaking, her ears and eyes taking in the sight of him beside her as she felt him capturing another piece of her heart.

"So what do you think about this place now since you're grown up?" She asked him curiously, wondering if any of the wild imagination he had as a boy had found a place in his adulthood today.

Kevin let out a soft, almost shy laugh…. as if he was about to tell her one of the best kinds of secrets. The boy within him, standing proud at the fact that he still was able to expose his heart to dreams as big and bright as our minds can imagine ….even though that same heart had been scarred by some of the crueler realities life has to offer.

"I think a young couple lived here at one time, traveling further into these woods than anybody else dared to and hell bent on finding their own little piece of heaven right here on earth. I can see them building their home out here together, along with a barn for their livestock. I think they went through hell that first winter out here all by themselves, but were too stubborn to call it quits and go home. In a couple of years, they were raising a whole bunch of kids who ran through this meadow and played over there in the stream. I think they had a good life and would laugh about how they beat the odds when it came to all the naysayers who said they'd never last out here, and sometimes…. late at night and after their kids had gone to sleep, I think that same brave couple would sneak out into this grove of apple trees they had planted together and make love underneath the stars. Knowing as long as they had each other everything would be ok."

Cuddy felt a ache deep within her heart as she had hung onto every word Kevin had said to her. The sincerity in his voice as he told her one of the best love stories she had ever heard, pulling her breathlessly closer towards all the hopes and dreams she had inside of her own heart, making them shiny and new once more.

"Do you think they stayed here till the end?" She found herself asking of him, not willing to let go of the story just yet, wanting more than anything to stay here with him and talk of the couple who had beat the odds and found their piece of heaven here on earth.

Kevin smiled over at her, noticing how her eyes were sparkling like precious jewels under the summer sun.

"Yeah, they stayed here until they were both old and gray and blessed with a hoard of grandchildren. Staying right here year after year and even though their kids had bugged them countless times to move to the city with them, until one night when they fell asleep in their old, comfortable bed, traveling together to somewhere new for the first time in sixty years." He told her as his eyes traced over every inch of her beautiful face.

Cuddy drew in her bottom lip, feeling the attraction between them becoming even stronger.

"You have a really good imagination." She then whispered to him softly, reaching up to caress the side of his face where his stubble had grown out a bit.

Kevin leaned closer to her, his lips resting next to her ear as his softly whispered back to her.

"Lisa, you have no idea how much I want to make things with you better than they've ever been." He told her honestly, lifting his head just in time to see her biting down on her bottom lip as she stared back at him.

Cuddy felt a shiver run through her entire body as their eyes connected once more, her chin lifting up as she kissed him again and felt the summer breeze caressing the side of her cheek.

She pulled him down on top of her as her hands reached for the hem of his shirt, freeing him from the garment as he looked down at her with a surprised, but pleased expression.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Kevin questioned to her, moving a stray lock of her dark hair away from her face while sinking deeper into the amazing feeling he always fell victim to whenever she was around him.

Cuddy gave him a brilliant smile, her mind now rooted in the best of her dreams that he had help bring back to life.

"I want to have a _real story _about this place to look back on when _I'm_ old and gray... so I can remember how good my life was right now, under this apple tree….here with you." She confessed to him.

"I want to make all of your days good from now on…not just today." He whispered back to her.

"I'd like that." Cuddy replied as her slender hands started to caress the skin on his back that was being warmed by the sun.

Kevin moved his hand to the softness of her neck and they began kissing once more, the unspoken words between them now filled with the kinds of thing that cannot be explained, but merely_ felt_ deep within ones soul when finding a connection someone that goes above all the others you've loved before them.

Lisa now found herself living out her dreams. Every hour, every second they had spent together after having made love for the first time, filling something within her that could only described as an energy capable of lifting her soul up from a place where it had hung partially in the shadows for far too long, unaware that there was so much more to experience in loving a man who truly did adore her in every sense of the word.

Beneath the summer sun as they kissed and touched each other, Cuddy and Kevin then slowly began to undress each other as well, their breathing becoming unsteady as they went about discovering each other all over again and for the third time that day.

Kissing Lisa's neck, Kevin took in the scent of her that was free from perfume and rain, the pure essence of her being being filling his sense, his right hand cupping and caressing her breast as his thumb rolled over her nipple.

Cuddy then let out a soft moan as Kevin lowered his head and took that same nipple into his mouth, sucking it gently before he released it and moved over to her other nipple, his hand now traveling down from her breast and to her flat stomach, caressing her hip before it moved between her thighs.

Kevin raised his head and looked into Lisa eyes, kissing her softly as his fingers began stroking slowly up and down on her sex.

She was so_ incredibly wet_ already…all for him…..._just for him. _Her gray eyes wide and filled with desire for him…_for only him_. Her soft moans making his hand tremble as her hips pushed up to meet his hand.

He slipped a finger inside of her hearing her gasp in response, tilting her hips up higher as he moved his thumb to her clit, stroking it back and forth with just the right amount of pressure as his middle finger moved in and out of her entrance.

"Oh god…" Cuddy whisperd already feeling dizzy and flooded with desire when he lowered his mouth onto her breast one more, drawing her nipple into his warm mouth and causign the incredible aching between her thighs to escalate as he sucked and nipped at the little nub

Kevin rolled his tongue over her spiked nipple a few more times before his mouth traveled between her breasts, his eyes looking up at her as he moved his hand away from the apex of her thighs, starting to kiss his way down to her naval, her eyes set on fire as she looked down at him, her mouth opening and letting out another soft gasp as he placed his mouth on her neatly trimmed mound, his pointed tongue wasting no time in making contact with her clit, licking it slowly as he lifted her hips up a bit more with two very strong hands.

Cuddy trembled, bucking her hips up and into his chin, hearing him groan deeply in approval, setting off another batch of pulsing electricity down between her legs.

Kevin increased the pressure of his tongue on her clit, licking, nipping and gently sucking on it, taking his time with her even though her enthusiasm and passion for him was succeeding in creating a tremendous ache on his raging hard-on. As she let out a throaty moan, he fought off the need to abandon his quest once more and take her right then and there, wanting to lavish her with attention, wanting to fully taste and enjoy this sweet and most intimate part of her until she would be left breathless and overtaken in her orgasm.

Cuddy fisted her hand in his hair as Kevin kept his eyes locked onto hers, his tongue starting to move up and down on her glistening sex, stopping just before it reached her entrance before he sent it up to tease her clit once more, flicking it in a quick rhythm before flattening it and lapping up her liquid desire for him with eagerness that was making her heart feeling as if it was going to explode from inside of her chest, his now steady, low and deep moans making her even wetter than before, causing her to cry out when he suddenly slipped his tongue deep inside of her.

She gasped, gripping onto the fabric of the quilt beneath her as she felt the first pulsing waves of her orgasm moving over her throbbing clit while his tongue continued to stroke her internally, his right hand that had been gripping her hip, now sliding over to her drenched pussy with his thumb pressing down on her clit and rubbing it hard and fast and with the kind of skilled timing that had her thighs shaking as her orgasm gained even more strength.

"Oh god...oh Kevin...right there..." She uttered in heat soaked whisper, arching her back as she closed her eyes, his tongue now sliding in and out of her without mercy as his thumb continued to rub feverishly over her clit, his mouth covering her entrance and another cry of ecstasy escaping her lips as he started to suck gently on her opening.

She couldn't take it anymore, her eyes flying open as she felt the earth shattering arrival of the most powerful orgasm she had ever experienced, those same eyes, staring up at the blue sky above her for moment before they fell upon Kevin's face, his eyes filled with a raw hunger as he continued to move his tongue inside of her, slowing his thumb just a bit as her hips continued to buck up towards him.

She was gasping for air, so high off her orgasm that her body was still trembling as he quickly moved on top of her, his strong hand pulling her left leg up and wrapping it around his waist as his cock slid deep inside of her with one powerful thrust of his hips.

Her hips then started bucking up hard against him as he managed to angle his thrust in such a way that the head of his shaft had connected directly with her g-spot while she was still riding off the orgasm from her clit, her mind going completely blank, her fingernails digging into the skin on Kevin's back as he kept on thrusting inside of her as their eyes stayed locked onto each other.

"You feel soooo good…" Kevin said to her in a long drawn out whisper, his eyes slit and heavy from the pleasure he was experiencing, exhaling deeply as his hips continued to thrust back and forth, guiding his shaft into her heat over and over again.

He wanted to keep them both like this forever, wanting to be with her forever, making love to her until they both could not take anymore, finding with her a passion that had truly brought him back to life after so many years of loneliness.

Cuddy lifted her head a bit, a soft moan of pleasure escaping her lips just before she kissed Kevin, his tongue darting into her mouth with the strong thrust of his hips following it, leaving them both gasping for air a second later as they felt the electricity traveling between them suddenly combusting and exploding between their bodies.

Their eyes stayed locked upon one another as a massive tidal wave of mind numbing pleasure came to take them both at the same time.

Kevin shuddered above Lisa, his eyes never leaving her face as she reached her second orgasm while he came inside of her, his hips still flexing for several more seconds, knowing he would never feel this way about any other woman but her.

Finally, and with his thighs burning in protest, he rolled off of her regretfully, the sounds of the birds singing and the gurgling stream beside them now heard by him as he came back down into this world.

He turned his head, looking over at Lisa as she stared up into the sky, trying to catch her breath while reaching blindly for his hand.

"That was…._incredible_." She said to him, turning her head to face him as her chest heaved heavily up and down with the sheen of their combined sweat.

Kevin pulled her closer to him, turning on his side to face her as she did the same, placing his hand on her hip as he kissed her softly, tasting the sweetness of her mouth before looking back into her amazing eyes.

"I love you Lisa." He whispered to her, no longer able to hide what had been feeling inside of his heart ever since the first day they had met.

Cuddy looked over at him, her eyes scanning every inch of his handsome face as her hand rested upon his jaw.

"I love you too Kevin." She whispered back to him, knowing those sweet words had never fallen so easily off of her lips than they had at that moment, beneath the summer sky and inside of a meadow where her own love story was playing out bigger and better than she could have imagined.


	27. Chapter 27

**Hello everyone! I'm back with more Kuddy and also to thank you all for your support and reviews. They mean the world to me ;)**

**Chapter 27**

On Monday morning, Cuddy arrived to work at the hospital with a smile on her face and a spring in her step, feeling as if she was walking on air.

After returning from the mountains with Kevin, she had invited him to spend the night at her place, not wanting to be without him for a single moment after they had found something so truly amazing together. He agreed without hesitation, spending the rest of the day with her and Rachel as they made plans for the three of them to go to the zoo the next day…fufilling his promised to her little girl.

Walking up to the nurses station, the smile on Cuddy's face grew even wider while recalling how excited Rachel was to see all the animals at the zoo and how precious it was seeing Kevin interacting with her daughter with the kind of genuine enthusiasm and affection that could not be faked. It all had come so easy for them all, so naturally with the three of them as they laughed and enjoyed the day together.

_Finally_ she had found that missing piece in her life she had almost giving up hope on _ever finding_. The triumph of it all...leaving her to savor in the sweetness it was offering to her.

"Well Doctor Cuddy….judging by your smile I'd say you had a pretty good weekend." The nurse at the station in the lobby remarked with smile, effectively pulling the dean of medicine out of her daydreams.

Cuddy smiled back at her. "It was pretty great weekend." She admitted, filled with so much happiness she was sure she would soon burst at the seams from the joy she was feeling.

"Well _whoever_ or _whatever_ has you in such a good mood…. I hope you plan on getting more of it on a regular basis." The nurse told her rather coyly while handing her a few messages written down on small pink sheets of paper.

Cuddy shot her a surprised look, finding herself letting out a short laugh at the nurse's play on words just now.

"Actually, I plan on doing just that." She then remarked back to her employee with a suggestive tone that would keep the nurse guessing on the true meaning behind her own words just before she turned and headed towards her office.

##################################################################

Entering into her office, Cuddy took in a sharp breath, her left hand gripping tightly onto the small pink sheets of paper the nurse had given her just a few short minutes ago as she stood in shock over the sight that greeted her.

"Oh my…." She whispered, placing her right hand as she was met head on by the actions of the amazing man she was now head over heels in love with.

The inside of her office had been filled with every type of vase, bouquet and flower arrangement imaginable, each of them containing a stunning array of summer wildflowers…just like the ones in the meadow where she and Kevin had made love. The room filled with their sweet scent, taking her back to that movement underneath the branches of an old apple tree in an instant.

Cuddy stood there motionless for a few seconds, thoroughly allowing herself to get swept away in the memory before spotting a small, white envelope sticking out of an elegant arrangement of flowers that had been placed upon her desk.

She quickly walked over to the tall vase, plucking the envelope from it's holder and carefully opening it so she could read the card inside.

_Forever yours in a meadow on a summer's day…._

_I find my little piece of heaven when you are in my arms…_

_Kevin_

Cuddy felt her heart skip beat as she read the card, her world now becoming filled with of the best kind of surprises, thanks to the chance she had taken on a man who made her believe in dreams again.

"Whoa!" Wilson suddenly exclaimed from behind her as he walked in thru the open door of her office.

Cuddy turned around to face him, still deep within her own thoughts as his eyes focused on her.

"I take it you patched things up with Kevin?" He asked her immediately while noticing how incredibly happy she had looked at the moment.

"There was nothing to patch up. Just another case of House interfering in my life and causing unnecessary drama." Cuddy replied back to him dryly.

Wilson let out sign. "You know House only did that because he's hurting and trying to deal with this in his own way."

Cuddy rolled her eyes at him. "Don't you ever get tired of explaining why House is such a jerk?" She then questioned to him, without anger... but rather with a clarity in her thoughts she had not experienced in quite some time.

Wilson furrowed his brow at her, pausing for a moment before he answered her.

"House needs us Lisa." He then whispered to her.

Cuddy let out a sigh, hating that Wilson had already resorted to calling her by her first name, thankful when the phone on her desk started ringing, thereby giving her a reprieve from their conversation.

"I need to take this." She told him, walking around her desk and biting back her smile when she saw it was in fact Kevin who was calling her.

"Fine, I'm going. But we do need to talk later….as friends." Wilson told her while pointing a finger on her direction.

"Fine." Cuddy agreed with a nod just to get him out of her office.

"Hello?" She then said into the phone a few seconds after the Wilson had left.

"I miss you." Kevin whispered to her with a smile as he stood alone inside of a construction trailer at his new job site.

"I just saw you last night." She reminded him with a grin, reaching out to touch the petals of a black eyed susan that was resting in the vase before her.

Kevin chuckled, running his hand through his hair. "So how's your day going to so far?" He asked her with a hint of anticipation to his tone.

"Very well thanks to the gorgeous flowers you sent to me." She responded, continuing to admire the flowers before her while listening to the sound of his deep, masculine voice.

The smile on Kevin's face grew, his mind covering some very sexually charged ground right now as the mere sound of her voice was making him ache for her.

"Any chance we could have sex inside of your office with those flowers surrounding us...just like out in that meadow?" He asked her suggestively and with a gleam in his eyes.

Cuddy felt the breath catch in her throat. "That depends on how good you are at not getting caught." She replied back to him in a sexy whisper before biting down on her bottom lip.

"Hmmm... looks like I've got to prove myself to you…doesn't it?" He countered to her as his mind started to fill with some very interesting ways he could do just that.

"I guess so." Cuddy agreed, feeling a pool of heat start to gather between her thighs as the way he was talking to her just now combined with the realization of how it felt to have him buried deep inside of her swept into her brain, causing a blush to rise in her cheeks.

"Well since it sounds like we have some very interesting things to discuss, how about going out to lunch with me today ?" Kevin asked her, already thinking of the perfect place to take her.

"I'd love too." Cuddy answered back to him softly, already becoming filled with anticipation over seeing the man she loved standing before her again.

#####################################################################################

"Exactly how many flowers?" House asked Wilson as they sat inside of House's office together.

"I'd say the guy pretty much bought out every florist in the tri state area." Wilson commented over to him while sitting across from House who was seated at his desk.

"What kind of flowers did he get her? Roses? Lilies?" House asked him with interest.

Wilson looked back at him confused. "Wildflowers. Why?"

House leaned forward, placing his elbows on his desk. "Those flowers mean something to her….to the both of them. I just have to find out what."

Wilson shook his head. "I thought we agreed you were going to lay low for a few weeks until Cuddy had time to cool down from the crap you just pulled on her." He reminded his friend.

"I lied." House replied back to him dryly while getting to his feet.

#################################################################################

"Hmm are you filming a commercial for Summer's Eve in here?" House asked Cuddy as he walked into her office, of course commenting on the dozens of bouquets, vases and arrangements taking up every nook and cranny inside the place.

Cuddy looked up at him from her desk, placing her pen down on top of it before easing back in her chair.

"What do want House?" She questioned to him in a calm voice.

He studied her for moment before he felt his stomach start turn in knots, noticing how as ease she was with herself, knowing it could only mean _one thing_.

"Did you have sex with Kevin this weekend while the two of you were watching the Sound of Music?" He asked as her, making a sarcastic joke while a part of him was dying inside as he took a few steps closer to her desk.

"What?" Cuddy asked him, surprisingly not annoyed at the moment by his question as she was still riding off the high of the romantic gesture Kevin had presented to her with the card he had made out to her now tucked inside the pocket of her sui jacket that she was wearing.

House studied her once more, his gaze searching her cool gray eyes. "You go to the park this weekend with the boytoy?" He pushed, ignoring her confusion and trying to find out her whereabouts after she had left on Friday.

"You mean you weren't stalking me?" Cuddy asked him with a half smile that had nothing to do with flirting with him and everything to do with the happiness she was now experiencing thanks to Kevin.

Her expression just now nearly gutted him, his face turning harder as he glared at her. "So I take it you believed whatever craptastic story Kevin tell you then? Must have made it pretty easy for him to get between your thighs after that….well not easier than it was for me, but of course I've had years of pratice lying to you."

His words spiral down at her with sharp, pointed anger. He wanted to hurt her, to take away the small smile on her face that had _nothing_ to do with him and everything to do with the man she was most likely have sex with now.

"You done?" Cuddy asked him, neither upset or angered over his words as she found herself able to rise above them quiet easily.

Houes took another step closer to her, looking down at her as he continued to hover above her.

"You really think this guy is going to be able to keep you interested in him for more than a few months before you start to become bored? He may be screwing your brains out now... but eventually it won't be enough" He told her flatly, using what had worked with her in the past as he tried to create that first hint of doubt in her mind.

Cuddy gave him a closed lipped smile, wondering if he knew how pathetic he looked just now, her soul now carrying her past all the frustration and anger she would have once had over his meddling as she got up from her seat.

"I have a meeting to go to." She then told him calmly, walking past him and leaving him standing alone inside of her office.


	28. Chapter 28

**Hello everyone! What's that? You want more Kuddy? Ok then…here you go! BTW..thanks for the reviews…I love them!**

**Chapter 28**

At five after twelve, Cuddy checked her watch before running her fingers through her hair, bouncing her left leg anxiously underneath her desk as the anticipation of seeing Kevin again began to grow inside of her.

It was so silly and completely irrational to be this excited. She was a _grown woman _after all, and yet…..

And yet here she was with butterflies in her stomach and her head stuck in the clouds.

Laughing softly to herself over her wonderful predicament, Cuddy placed the palms of her hands on her deck, standing up just as Kevin walked through the door to her office.

"You look amazing." He told her immediatly and in a very appreciative tone as his eyes took in the sigh of her, standing before him in a peach colored summer dress that looked as if it was tailor made for her alone.

"You don't look bad yourself." Cuddy remarked back to him with a smile…. her mouth practically watering at seeing him dressed up in a suit again and looking so incredibly handsome it instantly awakened the familiar longing to be near him, to touch him, to smell the scent of his colonge and feel his arms wrapped around her.

He crossed the floor and met her as she rounded her desk. His hands resting on her hips as his leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips before wrapping his right arm around her waist and pulling her close to him.

"Ready to go?" Kevin whispered down to her, keeping her body pressed tighyly against his and enjoying the feeling of the two of them with only a breath between them now.

"Uh huh." Was all Cuddy could manage to say at the moment, feeling her heart starting to pound inside of her chest as she turned slightly in his arms in order to reach across the desk for her ivory suit jacket she had placed on the back of her chair.

Kevin stopped her by pulling her close to him again.

"It's gorgeous outside….no need for a jacket." He told her while sliding his hand down to the curve of her soft ass and giving it a firm squeeze as he pushed his pelvis against hers.

Cuddy gasped, her eyes lighting up as his thumb began to rub the area he had just taken hold of.

"Pretty sneaky huh?" He then teased to her with a grin, watching with delight as she gave him a sexy smile.

"Considering we're inside my closed office….with the blinds drawn behind me, I'd say it was anything but _sneaky_." She challenged back to him, knowing his behavior had stemmed from the conversation they had earlier about having sex inside of her office.

Kevin set his jaw while a smile remained on his face.

"You're gonna be in _so_ much trouble later." He warned her, giving her butt another firm squeeze as he lowered his lips to hers…..kissing her again.

#################################################################################################################

Standing on the balcony of the second floor inside the hospital lobby, House watched as Kevin and Cuddy emerged from her office, smiling at each other and holding hands as they whispered softly to one another.

His jaw clenched as Cuddy placed her hand on Kevin's chest, whispering something to him that produced a smile upon the man's face before she leaned into him, giving him a small peck on the lips.

Just as Cuddy started to lean back from him, Kevin pulled her close once more, his eyes focused solely on her as he whispered something to her that made Cuddy lean in and kiss him again... this time more slowly while she allowed herself to be temporarily swept away as her hands ran up the length of his arms, pulling him even closer to her.

When the kiss had ended they proceeded to look up and down the hallway, laughing softly to each other as Kevin moved his arm around Cuddy's waist and they headed towards the front doors of the hospital.

Gripping tightly onto his cane, House felt a sharp pain run through his heart. The image of the two of the having sex together now searing through his brain. The sounds that Cuddy would make when in the throws of passion, echoing relentlessly inside of his head.

He had told himself when he had found about Cuddy's _new man _…. he wouldn't care if she slept with the guy. Confident…just as he had been earlier today inside of her office that eventually she would get bored and dump this latest loser. However, seeing her kissing Kevin like she did, touching him without a care of who might see while smiling and laughing with him? Well, it hurt worse than he could have ever imagined. In fact it hurt like hell.

#############################################################################################################

"Wow! This place is incredible. I've heard about it opening for months now but thought reservations were pretty much impossible to get unless you were willing to give up a kidney." Cuddy remarked over to Kevin as they stepped inside the doors of large and elegant mansion dating back to the 1800's and which had been refurbished into the newest and most sought after eatery when it came to a fine dining experience.

Kevin smiled over at her. "Luckily I helped with remolding of this place so I was able to keep my kidneys intact." He told her, pleased that she seemed to like the place as much as he did.

Cuddy gave him an impressed look, checking out the decor of the place as they walked towards the matradee together.

"Mister Bennet….it's so nice to see you again." The matradee, who was a young man in his late twenties said with a smile.

"Nice to see you too Nick…but please, call me Kevin."

With a nod of recognition the young man than glanced down at the paper in front of him.

"I see you'll be dining upstairs with us today. Please follow me." He then instructed to the couple before guiding them towards a long and winding staircase carved out of mahogany.

#######################################################################################################

The dining area the matradee taken them to had once been a small and intimate bedroom that had been remolded for the restaurant, located at the east end of the mansion and on the second floor.

Inside the room was a small, round table with a white lace table cloth and a white pillar candle flickering in the center of it. The candle was surrounded at its base by several fresh, white lily blossoms. The fragrance coming forth from the flowers….…simply heavenly. The rest of the room had been decorated in the Victoria Era with a white and cream colored oriental rug adoring the hardwood floors and white drapes made out of even more fine lace hanging upon the windows. On opposite sides of the small table sat two high backed and next to the table were a pair of French doors hat led out into a balcony, which overlooked the rolling grounds of the estate. The doors were open to allow the summer breeze inside as well as the sounds of the string quartet playing out on the lawn.

As she stood inside of the room, Cuddy felt as if she had been transported back in time.

"Is everything to your liking?" The matradee asked her with a smile.

Cuddy nodded, smiling back him. "It's perfect." She replied, glancing over at Kevin and feeling her breath catch in her throat as he looked back at her with the kind of smile that would always find a place in her heart.

#########################################################################################################

A few minutes after being seated by the matradee their waiter arrived, knocking on the door to the room first before entering inside of it.

After introducing himself, he gave them their menus, telling them of the chef's specialties of the day before taking their orders, leaving soon after while closing door behind him once more.

Cuddy reached for Kevin's hand across the table, smiling at him as she spoke.

"This place is so wonderful. Thank you so much for taking me here."

Kevin smiled back at her while getting to his feet, keeping hold of her hand, which prompted her to stand as well.

He then pulled her close to him, staring to kiss her slowly as his hands gripped onto her hips.

"I want you…now." He then whispered to her ear, watching as she looked back at him with surprise.

"Here...now?" She questioned to him, glancing over at the closed door behind them.

He nodded, studying her face as he spoke once more.

"I want to pin you up against that wall over there and have sex with you right now while everyone else in this place goes about eating their meals. Unless of course you don't think you're sneaky enough to pull it off." He informed her with a rather wicked smirk.

Cuddy pursed her lips, knowing exactly where this challenged was coming from.

"You do understand we have ten minutes tops before that waiter comes back. Do you really think you'll have enough time to pull this off?" She challenged back to him, gasping a second later as he turned her around in his embrace, taking a few tangled steps back with her before effectively pinning her against the wall.

"Stay still." He then instructed to her just before he got down to his knees.

"Lift up your dress." Kevin then told her in a low, masculine whisper, his eyes heavy with the desire he had for her.

Cuddy did as he requested, feeling her entire body now aching with anticipation as she pulled up the hem of her dress to her hips, watching as he placed his hands on the peach lace panties she was wearing.

"These are really nice." He then commented up to her with a sexy, broad smile before quickly sliding the panties down her tone legs as she lifted her feet for him.

He then stuffed the lingerie into the front breast pocket of his suit jacket before he lowered his head and kissed her inner thigh.

"You smell incredible." He murmurred against her skin, taking in the sweet scent of her.

Cuddy trembled with excitement, her breathing becoming unsteady as she felt his hot breath on her bare skin.

An instant later she threw her head back as Kevin set about kissing her soft mound before his tongue darted down to her clit.

Her mouth clamped shut to stifle a moan, her jaw clenching even more as he moved hsi tongue up and down on her wet pussy, his large hands holding her hips firmly against the wall.

"God I love the taste of you." He then whispered up to her in that same low whisper, his eyes filled with a hunger that only she could feed.

Cuddy's hand trembled slightly as it caressed his cheek. "We have to hurry." She reminded him, biting down on her bottom lip with her eyes never leaving his face as he got up…standing tall and strong before her once more.

She then quickly went about unbuttoning his pants and unzipping his fly, a small shiver of excitement running up her spine when she found him rock hard and more than ready for her.

She pushed both his pants and underwear down to his ankles in one quick move, her mouth being captured in a deep kiss by him a second later as she stood up once more.

"Hold onto me ok?" Kevin told her when their lips had parted, reaching out and wrapping her arms around his neck as she looked up at him breathlessly, totally captivated by his spell.

He then proceeded to pick her up, her knees bent next to his sides as he held her in a seated position, carefully lowered her onto his erection and taking in as sharp breath as her tight, warm heat started to surround him.

Cuddy nuzzled her face against his cheek, moaning softly into his neck as he filled her completely, setting off that wonderful flow of energy between them once more.

He kissed the side of her cheek, taking a few steps back from the wall before her spoke to her again.

"Lean back but keep holding onto me …ok?" He instructed to her again, watching as her eyes grew large and she licked her bottom lip.

Cuddy nodded, leaning back towards the wall and making contact with it once more as her shoulder blades and neck rested against it, her hands now grasping onto Kevin's broad shoulders as he started to thrust in and out of her with the power of his muscular thighs.

The angle he created for her was _incredible_, her mouth clamping shut once more as he drove into her again and again, hitting her g-spot with the precision of a marksman as her eyes begged him for more and her fingernails dug into the fabric of his jacket.

Kevin lifted her legs a bit higher, speeding up his rhythm and watching as Lisa opened her mouth,a moan escaping her lips, traveling through the air and out towards the balcony, getting lost within the sound of the violin being played out on the lawn.

He felt her muscles start to clamp down on him, massaging him and urging him on in a way that would keep him with her as long as she would have him...for forever if god was willing.

Cuddy watched a fine bead of sweat fall from Kevin's brow, traveling down the side of his face wiht his biceps flexing as he held her up in the air, his breathing…. hard and choppy as he leaned forward and kissed her, the both of the moaning in unison at the effect his move had on each of their bodies.

Within the next second she felt that raging bolt of lighting rising up between her thighs...pulsing and alive...her orgasm, causing her to tremble in Kevin's arms as she moaned his name.

Kevin closed his eyes and was caught up in the rapture with her, coming inside of her with a few more short, powerful thrusts of his hips, his legs shaking in the wake of his arrival, his breath temporarily taken from his lungs.

"Keivn!" Cuddy whispered with surprise, her legs and arms wrapping around him as she felt his stance weaken for a moment.

"It's ok…I've got you." He whispered back to her, kissing her neck and commanding his legs to keep them both steady as he leaned them both against the wall, being greeted by her breathtaking smile as he lifted his head from where it had rested in the crook of her neck.

"That was _amazing_." She whispered to him, trying to catch her breath.

Kevin opened his mouth to speak just as the sound of approaching footsteps filtered in from the hallway.

"Shit." He cursed soflty and with a smile, quickly setting Lisa down upon her feet once more and handing her the panties he has stuffed inside of his pocket.

He pulled his pants up, continuing to smile over at her as she quickly slipped the panties over her four inch heels before pulling them up to her waist once more as the hem of her dress fell to her knees.

"Come on before we get caught!" Cuddy warned himwith a brillant smile, taking him by the hand and with a soft laugh escaping her lips as they raced back to the table together, sitting down just as there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Kevin said with grin, wiping the sweat from his brow as Lisa let out a sigh of relief before she smiled at him again from across the table.


	29. Chapter 29

**Hi everyone! Sorry it took so long to get another chapter done but real life has been very busy for me lately. I also have family coming to visit the end of this week so I might not get another chapter up until the week after this one. Anyway…I hope you will all continue to enjoy this story ;)**

**Chapter 29**

Four weeks later, Kevin Bennet woke up inside his king sized bed, his slumber brought to an end by the summer breeze as it had moved across his face before rolling over his bare shoulders through the open window behind him.

He turned onto his side, letting out a deep yawn as he opened his eyes, a smile immediately forming on his face as he looked over at Lisa who was sleeping peacefully beside him.

Both Lisa and Rachel had stayed over here last night, just as they had been doing on and off for the past couple of weeks…..that was of course when he was not staying over a her place.

Since today was Saturday there was no need to coax her from her dreams just yet, even though the idea of making love to with her in the early morning glow of dawn was already running through his mind the mere sight of her was enough to make him ache to be inside of her once more.

As his eyes traced the beauty of her sleeping face, Kevin thought about how incredible the past few weeks had been for them. The both of them spending more and more time together as the days passed by them. His relationship with Lisa as well as with Rachel, flourishing right along with the flowers blooming in the summer season.

From beside him, Lisa let out a soft sigh, a small smile forming on her lips as she was undoubtedly in the midst of a _very_ good dream.

He wondered if she was dreaming of the two of them together and the insatiable desire they had for one another as their passion along with their emotional connection had continued to grown stronger and stronger with each passing day, leaving them forever trapped inside their infatuation for one another that rivaled the eagerness of lovers half their age. The constant need to expression their affection to one another having no care of where they may be or what little time they had to share and enjoy each others bodies.

The thought of their desire for one another created an ache deep within the pit of his belly as recalled Lisa's numerous trips to his newest job site during her lunch hour and the way she would enter into his construction trailer, dressed to kill and with a the kind of sexy smile that would bring a man to his knees displayed upon her face as she locked the door behind her, quickly walking into his waiting arms.

He made sure to leave her more than satisfied before she left and went back to the hospital. Watching her afterwards while grinning from ear to ear as she smooth out her hair and checked her makeup with the small, round mirror she would retrieve from her purse afterwards. The smile on her face when she kissed him goodbye succeeding in stoking the embers of desire within him once more that burned red hot for her.

Of course their rendezvous were not only limited to his work place as his mind brought back the memory of the time he had stopped by Lisa's office just last week.

He had been heading over to her place to watch Rachel since she was scheduled for a late evening meeting with the board but decided to pop in and see her since his mind had been consumed with thoughts of her all day.

When he arrived at the hospital he had found her wringing her hands and pacing the floor inside of her office, the tension wound tightly inside of her as she worried over being able to pull off the proposal she was presenting to the board in a few short minutes, her face lined with self doubt even though her skills as a negotiator were probably the best he had ever witnessed as he had now been privy to the phone calls she would sometimes receive over the past few weeks during her off hours with him.

He had initially tried to reassure her with a gentle touch as he spoke his words of encouragement to her, but when he saw the anxiety still looming inside of her breathtaking grey eyes he knew the matter at hand needed something more than just words to make things right with her.

"What are you doing?" She had asked him as he took her by the hand and guided her inside the small bathroom attached to her office before locking the door behind them.

He smiled down at her, his hand resting on her hip.

"Shhhh….no talking. Just relax and enjoy this." He informed her with a low whisper before lifting her up and placing her into a seated position upon the sink.

A gasp of surprise quickly escaped her lips as she whispered to him that she didn't have much time, reminding him that her meeting was going to start in less than ten minutes. However, her protests quickly fell by the waste side as he knelt down in front of her and pushed her knees apart.

"I've wanted to taste you all day." He had confessed to her in a husky voice as their eyes locked onto one another, watching as she bit down on her bottom lip and nodded her approval, her hips lifting and allowing him to rid her of the black, lace panties she was wearing as the fire inside of her came to meet him, their passion for one another something that neither one of them could deny.

With no time to waste he began sucking and licking at her clit, drawing slow circles over the little nub as her hands clamped down on the edge of the sink, her legs spreading further apart to allow him even more access to her as she threw her head back and let out a soft moan.

He responded to her by gripping tighter onto her hips, a low hum escaping from he mouth as probed her with tongue, moving it in and out of her entrance as he curled the tip of it, swirling it over her clit and lapping up the warm juice of her pussy until she reached out and lifted his face to meet his gaze as her lips.

"Fuck me." She had told him with a heavy whisper and eyes that were wide and filled with a hunger for only him.

He complied of course without hesitation, standing up in an instant and burying himself deep inside of her with one powerful thrust as her hands gripped onto his broad shoulders, her legs wrapped around his narrow hips, the heel of her left shoe digging into his skin as it grazed against his flesh, leaving a small abrasion on his lower back for days afterwards.

There was no stopping them now as she leaned back a bit in order to tilt her pelvis up towards the ceiling, giving him the perfect angle to thrust in and out of her while he made sure to take away every ounce of tension inside of her, speeding up his strokes when he felt her legs trembling around him, continuing to the hit the spot inside of her that left her moaning her appreciation of his talents to him as their foreheads touch and she held onto him for dear life.

Afterwards, he helped her off of the sink and pulled her close to him, asking her if they could have sex in front of the board next as a prequel to her presentation just to stun them all into silence, feeling his heart practically leaping out of his chest when she had let out that amazing full bodied laugh of hers that was as irresistible and endearing to him as her smile, her voice and the warm touch of her hand.

Caught up in his daydreams of her, Kevin reached out towards Lisa, stroking her arm lovingly with his fingertips as she continued to sleep beside him.

"I love you." He whispered over to her, hoping his words would cross over the boundaries of her dreams, finding a place deep within her heart.

As the words left his mouth he watched her smile broaden as she remained sleeping, the knowledge that that her dreams didn't have to end once she would wake and find this new day waiting for them both bringing a warmth to his soul unlike anything he had ever experienced before.

#########################################################################################

Twenty minutes later, Kevin was standing inside the kitchen of his home, trying to decide what to make Lisa and Rachel for breakfast as both of his guests had remained sleeping soundly upstairs.

Opening the door to the fridge however, he quickly realized that one of his guests had awoken as he heard the soft thumping sound of a pair of small feet running down the steps and into the kitchen where he was standing.

"Naaaaay! Naaaaay!" Rachel said with a wide grin, running into the kitchen with her beloved stuffed pony held out in front of her as she made it gallop in the air towards him.

Kevin held back a smile as he closed the door to the fridge and stared down at the toddler who was dressed in a Dora the Explorer nightgown, her dark hair a cute ruffled mess as she grinned up at him.

"Who let a pony into the house?" He questioned to her with a scowl that was completely made bogus by the smirk on his face.

"Cookie wanted to sleep with me last night." Rachel pouted back at him, unable to hide her small smile as the two of them played pretend together just as they often did these days.

"Did you make sure Cookie brushed her teeth last night before she went to bed with you?" Kevin asked her, keeping his voice completely serious even though he could not hold back his smile any longer after seeing Rachel's small face filled with delight.

"Yes." Rachel confirmed with a nod before her eyes moved over to the fridge.

"I'm hungry." She then informed him, crinkling her nose as a small smirk appeared on her lips.

Kevin tilted his head to the side, his eyebrows scrunched up in thought.

"You know…..come to think of it …I'm hungry too. Do you think Cookie can make me some eggs for breakfast today?" He asked her with a wide grin.

Rachel giggled at his suggestion. "Kevin…..ponies can't cook. They run around and say naaaaaaaaaaaaaaayy!" She told him in a high pitched voice, mimicking her words into action as she made her toy pony gallop again.

"All right, I guess _I'll _have to make breakfast for us then." Kevin agreed with a loud sigh before scooping the toddler up in his arms and giving her a small peck on the cheek.

He then sat her down in one of the three stools placed in front of the breakfast bar inside his kitchen, watching as Rachel placed Cookie in the empty stool next to her.

"Stay right here Cookie and be a good girl." She whispered softly to the stuffed pony while gently stroking its mane as Kevin turned towards the refrigerator once more.

"So, do you think you Cookie would like scrambled eggs for breakfast?" He questioned over to her as he opened up the refrigerator door.

"Ponies don't eat eggs silly….they eat hay." Rachel remarked back to him with a giggle.

Kevin turned around, a deep frown now cast upon his face as he placed the carton of eggs onto the counter.

"I'm fresh out of hay." He then told her in a sad voice, making sure to look over at the cute stuffed pony apologetically as well as he stuck out his bottom lip.

"It's ok Kevin…. I fed Cookie hay before we came down here." Rachel assured him, placing her small hand on top of his and giving it a pat while watching with delight as relief washed over his face.

"Whew! I was afraid Cookie would go hungry but it's good to know you take such good care of her so I don't have to worry." He said before leaning over the counter and gently scratching the top of the pony's head.

"Your lucky to have such a good little girl taking care of you Cookie." Kevin added, speaking to the toy as if it was a living being as his words caused Rachel's face to fill with pride.

"Do you really think I take good care of Cookie?" Rachel asked him as her eyes stayed glued on his face, her small heart overflowing with love for the tall man with the nice smile who had become her best friend.

Kevin nodded his head, moving his hand from the pony to cup her face.

"I don't think Cookie could have asked for a better owner than you sweetie." He told her in soft voice before touching her nose with his thumb. "Honk!" He then said as he pressed his thumb against her nose ….just to make her giggle again.

"You're funny!" Rachel exclaimed in a high pitched voice as she leaned forward, placing her arms on the countertop.

"So do you think Cookie would like some juice instead of eggs?" Kevin asked her next with a smile stretching across his lips.

"Can me and Cookie have apple juice instead of orange juice?" Rachel questioned to him hopefully before licking her lips.

Kevin winked at her. "You got it kid." He told her, before turning and retrieving the carton from inside of the refrigerator.

"Yes!" Rachel exclaimed while raising her fist in the air.

Witnessing her enthusiasm Kevin could not help but be swept away by happiness that radiated out from the little girl in all directions as her big blue eyes remained fixed upon him while her heart was left wide open for him to see.

As he walked over to the cupboards, Kevin thought about the day ahead of them and the surprise he had planned for Rachel later on this afternoon, another smile forming on his face as his eyes settled upon the child once more as he placed a plastic cup in front of her and began to pour some juice inside of it.

"So do you think Cookie would like to go on a car ride with us today?" He asked her, watching as Rachel's face began to fill with excitement once more.


	30. Chapter 30

**Ok time for a little more Rachel/Kevin & Cuddy time. Sorry it's been so long since I updated and hope you all are still enjoying the story ;)**

**Chapter 30**

"Are we there yet?" Rachel asked from where she was seated behind Kevin in the back of his extended cab truck.

"We'll be there in a few more minutes." Kevin informed the child, glancing back at her in the rearview mirror with a smile on his face.

He had not told Rachel about the surprise he had planned for her today, masking the true nature of their journey this afternoon with the promise of stopping for an ice cream cone on the way back home after picking up some tools from a friend of his who lived in the country.

Of course there was truth to his statement as the man they were going to see did have some antique, wood carving tools that would be the perfect gift for his father's birthday, which was coming up in a few weeks. However the other part….. and in fact _the most important part_ of today had been planning something for the little girl in the back seat that would bring out that irresistible smile on her cherub face as he watched her big blue eyes light up with pure joy, her happiness as much of a priority to him these days as ensuring the happiness of her mother who was currently seated beside him the passenger seat of the truck.

As he continued to drive, Lisa moved her hand to his thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze.

He shifted his eyes over to her, the smile on her face and sparkle in her eyes letting him know he was indeed doing a pretty good job at making her happy as her thumb started to caress the fabric of his jeans.

"Thank you so much for doing this." Cuddy whispered over to him just as Rachel began humming softly to herself in the back seat, the child's gaze still focused on the landscape passing by them as she stroked the mane of her toy pony that was resting on her lap.

"You don't need to thank me, Lisa. I _wanted _to do this for her." Kevin reminded her with an easy smile, reaching down and giving her hand a quick squeeze before he slowed the truck, turning onto the gravel road on their right.

Cuddy studied Kevin's profile as the afternoon sun outlined his strong, handsome features. A stir of desire coming to life between her thighs as she thought of how much she was already aching to make love to him again.

Her body and mind were now completely at his mercy when met with the warmth of his touch, the passion in his kiss and feel of him deep inside of her as they became one and he brought her to ecstasy over and over again.

With her brain currently trapped within some very delicious thoughts, Cuddy felt a blush rising to her cheeks when Kevin suddenly glanced over at her again, reading her thoughts in an instant as was evident by the proud smile on his face.

She bit down on her bottom lip, a flutter in her stomach coming up to greet her as their eyes connected.

With a knowing expression and hint of lust in his eyes, Kevin moved his hand to her thigh, giving it a small squeeze as he winked over at her.

"Something you'd like to share?" He teased to her with a low whisper as his hand inched up a little further up her thigh that was clad in a pair of skin tight blue jeans.

"Ponies!" Rachel suddenly yelled from the back seat, startling her mother who grabbed hold of her heart as Kevin let out a loud, bellowing laugh.

"Where do you see ponies?" He questioned to the child in the backseat as the smile on his face grew wider.

"Right over there!" Rachel yelled up to him, pointing out the window to her left and near the top of hill where four ponies where running back and forth inside of fenced pasture.

_There was a black pony! And a grey and white spotted pony! And two brown ponies with white spots on their bellies and legs! And a butterscotch colored pony with a white spot on its forehead who looked just like Cookie… her very own toy pony!_

"Wow, there really _are _ponies up there. Lisa, can you see them?" Kevin asked the beautiful woman seated beside him as he pointed towards the animals while slowing the truck down to a complete stop on the single lane gravel road.

Cuddy was now grinning from ear to ear, her heart filled with so much love for the two people seated in the truck with it her it was beginning to ache in the sweetest kind of way.

"Rachel, would you like to go and see those ponies?" She questioned to her daughter while squeezing Kevin's thigh once more and watching as her child took in a sharp gasp of surprise.

"Yes Mommy!" Rachel chirped as the excitement within her began to grow.

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"Kevin? Well I'll be a son of a gun! You actually made it you dirt scoundrel!"

The man who had spoken those words with a deep southern drawl was currently standing beside a stable made of weathered pine and where his ponies were currently running free in the pasture behind it. His tall, wiry thin frame, looking as if he may end up flying away into the summer sky with just one good gust of air to lead him on.

On his head he wore a tan cowboy hat. His lower half covered in faded Levi's. His feet adored with worn, leather cowboy boots. A light blue western shirt covering his upper half as he squinted down the gravel road where Kevin had parked his truck, watching as his friend approached him.

Kevin was holding hands with a very attractive dark haired woman while cradling a cute little girl…..who appeared to be around three four on his right hip. The image of the three of them, leading anyone who did not know better to believe this happy little family had existed for years.

"Kyle you no good SOB you look great!" Kevin replied back to him with a wide grin as they drew closer, letting go of Lisa's hand once they reached him so he could shake the hand of a friend who had looked out for him and cared for him at a time when he could have cared less whether he had lived or died.

You look good Kevin." Kyle said, his voice much softer as he looked over at the younger man, grateful that fate had finally smiled down upon Kevin and brought him the happiness he had once thought himself unworthy of ever receiving.

Looking over at the two men, Cuddy studied the old cowboy whose skin had been tanned and leathered by years spent out in the summer sun.

The lines on his face made her guess his age to be in his early seventies, his somewhat tough exterior, soften greatly by the kindness in his voice as he spoke to Kevin as well as his friendly expression as he glanced over at her briefly as they made their approach.

"Well Kevin …..are you just going to stand there all slacked jawed or you going to introduce me to these two lovely ladies you brought here with you today?" The old man then asked, placing his hands on hips.

Kevin shook his head and chuckled.

"You have changed a bit, Kyle." He remarked before turning his gaze over to where Lisa was standing beside him.

"Kyle, this gorgeous lady to my right is Lisa Cuddy. Lisa, this Texas cowboy who foolishly has relocated to New Jersey is one of my dearest friends….Kyle Stewart."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kyle." Cuddy said with a soft smile, amused when the man not only tipped his hat to her with a genuine, welcoming smile but also reached out for her left hand, placing a kiss upon it.

"Of all the Southern Bells I've met in my day… you my dear are the closet resemblance to Scarlett O'hara I've ever seen. I hate even ask how many men have lost their hearts to you." He told her with his thick southern drawl and a wide smile before he shifted his gaze to Kevin once more.

"You better make sure to keep her happy or I may just have to step in and take her from you." Kyle then warned the younger man in front of him jokingly and with a nod of his head.

"Don't worry…I plan on doing just that." Kevin assured his friend with a grin as he placed his hand on Lisa's hip.

"Now …who is this little pretty philly you're holding?" Kyle asked as his green eyes moved over to the little girl who had been staring at him intently ever since they had arrived.

"I like the way you talk." Rachel replied back to him with a giggle and a wide grin before Kevin could introduce them.

Both Lisa and Kevin watched as the tall, thin man with the big voice was instantly turned into a heaping pile of mush.

"Oh…why thank you lil miss." Kyle replied softly as he eyes sparkled with a quiet happiness.

"Kyle, this is Rachel Cuddy." Kevin then went on to say said as he continued to balance the toddler on his hip with on very strong arm.

"Rachel…that such a beautiful name." The old cowboy commented over to the child with a smile as the little girl continued to grin up at him.

"Are those your ponies?" Rachel asked him with a twinkle in her eyes, pointing over to where the four ponies were playing and galloping happily with each other in the pasture.

"They sure are." Kyle answered.

"Do you think I can pet your ponies?" Rachel asked with a hopeful voice as the tall man with the funny hat looked down at her.

The cowboy bit back his smile, his eyes glancing briefly over a Kevin and Lisa before he spoke.

"Of courses you can pet my ponies. In fact, how would you feel about riding one of those ponies today?" He asked the little girl who was as sweet as watermelon on a hot summer day.

Rachel's jaw dropped.

"Really?" She asked with disbelief,

"Just as long as your Mommy says it's ok." Kyle answered as he nodded over to the girl's mother.

"Mommy please! Can I?" Rachel pleaded, reaching over for her mother and being promptly placed in her waiting arms by Kevin as he passed the child over to her.

"Of course you can baby. But first ….you need to thank Kevin for taking you here today." Cuddy responded with a warm smile.

Rachel snapped her head over to Kevin who was still standing beside her mother.

"So I'm getting ponies and ice cream today?" She asked him in the true spirit of a child who never forgets the promises made to her.

Kevin shook his head, laughing along with Lisa and Kyle at her remark.

"You get to _ride _the ponies today and then we'll go and get some ice cream." He clarified to her.

"Ok….thank you!" Rachel replied happily, leaning towards him while still in her mother's arms as she planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Alright now little cowgirl are you ready to come with me and see these ponies?" Kyle asked, offering to take her from her mother.

"Yes!" Rachel answered, practically leaping into the old man's arms.


	31. Chapter 31

**Hi everyone! Well I'm back from another vacation and feel amazingly refreshed ****J Hopefully there are still some of you who are enjoying this story. And now onward to the next chapter….**

**Chapter 31**

"Alright Rachel, now all you have to do is stand next to me while I call the ponies over." Kyle instructed to the little girl, lowering her onto the ground next to him from outside of the fenced in pasture.

"Ok." Rachel said with a soft whisper, her big blue eyes currently focused on the five ponies at the other end of the meadow as they continued to play.

Placing two fingers into his mouth, Kyle let out a sharp whistle.

The ponies immediately turned their heads in his direction, trotting over to him without delay.

"Ahhh…there's my pretty girls." Kyle said to the ponies when they reached him, speaking to them in a soft, almost fatherly voice as they stood before him.

The ponies responded to his words with soft nay's, nodding their heads as if they were all in agreement with the compliment he had just given them.

Standing beside her daughter and watching the ponies with Kevin's arm wrapped around her waist, Cuddy noticed the way the animals had reacted to the old cowboy, the calmness reflected in their movements as well as their beautiful deep brown eyes as they gathered around him…. proof that Kyle had treated these ponies with tender, loving care as there was not an ounce of fear or trepidation among them.

For the next few moments, Kyle took time to pet each one of the ponies, calling them by name as he doted over them lovingly.

"Oh Molly…you always want petted first. Don't you girl?" He said with a chuckle, speaking to the black pony who had just nudged in front of the rest.

"Yes Molly, I know ….you're such a good girl…but I need to show some love to the other girls as well." He informed her, giving her one last, gentle caress on the side of her cheek.

"Ok Belle it's your turn ….you too Clara." The old man continued with a soft voice and a welcoming smile.

At hearing his words, the two brown and white ponies stepped up to him, whinnying happily as he used both of his hands to pet them at the same time.

"Such happy little sisters." He whispered to them like a proud papa as beside them the gray and white pony let out a sharp nay that caused Rachel to giggle.

"Alright Phyllis you're next." He said at hearing the pony's plea.

After Phyllis got her dose of affection there was only the butterscotch pony left, her dark lashes blinking slowly as she had stayed just a few feet away from the others, glancing down at Rachel who was staring right back at her with big blue eyes.

Looking down at the toddler, Kyle noticed her silent awe that was well beyond her years, the spark in Rachel's eyes meaning more to him than the giggle she had let out a few seconds ago.

"You like that pony?" He asked her softly, his eyes shifting back and forth from Rachel to his beloved pony as the birth of a connection was forming between the animal and the small child.

"She's beautiful." Rachel whispered back to him, her eyes staying fixated on the pony who seemed to have been the exact replica of her stuffed pony, suddenly brought to life before her.

From beside her daughter, Cuddy leaned closer to Kevin, whispering in his ear.

"I've never seen her like this before. Thank you so much." She told him, grateful that the man by her side had not only accepted the fact that she had a child in her life, but also had went above and beyond when it came to getting to know her little girl instead of viewing her as an obstacle in their relationship, the love Kevin had for her daughter, coming through in his eyes as he smiled down at her now.

"There isn't anything I wouldn't do make her happy." Kevin whispered back to her, the expression on Lisa's face letting him know she believed every word he had spoken to her just now as the love they shared succeeded in banishing any of the doubt she had left inside of her from the previous men in her life.

"Brandy, come here baby. There's someone very special I want you to meet." Kyle said to the pony in a soft voice from beside them as the other ponies were now nudging and playing with each other a few feet away from them.

At hearing her master's voice, the pony lowered her head before taking the last few steps to where Kyle and Rachel were located.

"Ok Rachel, just put your hand right there on Brandy's forehead and tell her your name." The old cowboy then instructed, squatting down and reaching for the toddler's hand before guiding it up to the waiting pony.

Sticking out her tongue in silent anticipation Rachel did as she was told, her small fingers gently stroking the short hairs on the forehead of the pony as she looked into the animal's chestnut eyes.

"Hi… I'm Rachel. Can I be your friend?" The little girl asked hopefully.

The pony responded with a soft whinny, causing a smile to sprout across Rachel's face that was nearly as wide as the Grand Canyon itself.

"I think you can take that as a yes." Kyle informed Rachel with a grin.

Rachel nodded in agreement, those same small fingers now gently scratching the pony's short hair as if she had known the animal all of her short, young life.

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Sitting on top of a butterscotch colored pony named Brandy on a bright summer's day, Rachel Cuddy's cherub face was filled with wonder, her blue eyes sparkling with overwhelming joy, her stomach feeling like it had thousands of tiny little butterflies trapped inside of it as the small pony trotted in a slow but steady pace around the meadow.

"You still doing ok sweetheart?" Kyle asked from beside her as he held the reins of the pony, guiding the animal around the pasture.

Rachel nodded, currently at a loss for words as her mind was too busy absorbing this amazing experience, her small hand reaching up to touch mane of the pony as her heart continued to beat wildly inside of her chest.

_She was riding a pony! She was a big girl now who was old enough to ride a pony!_

With that fact running through her head, Rachel looked over at Kyle, her voice clear and direct as she requested something of him.

"Can I hold those?" She asked while looking down at the reins.

On the other side of the pasture, Cuddy watched her daughter, amazed at how poised Rachel was in the saddle, her little girl seemingly having matured by a couple of years in the blink of an eye.

"Rachel, you look like such a big girl riding that pony!" She yelled over to her with a wide grin while waving to her.

"Hi Mommy!" Rachel replied with a grin of her own, the young child that she truly was coming through for a moment as she looked over at her mother and waved back to her before focusing her attention once more on the pony she was riding.

Standing beside Cuddy, Kevin snapped a few pictures of Rachel with his digital camera as Kyle continued to lead the pony around the fenced in pasture, noticing …just like her mother had that the little girl seemed right at home on top of the pony.

"She's going to remember this day for such a long time." Cuddy commented over to him as he lowered the camera, putting it back in the case he had slung around his shoulder.

"I hope so." Kevin whispered back to her, watching as Kyle stopped the progress of the pony as he eyes set squarely on Rachel.

"Hold them nice and loose like this for now understand?" Kyle instructed to the little girl after she had waved to her mother, carefully placing her hands onto the reins.

His heart was beating fast inside of his chest, the fact that Rachel had asked him to take hold of the reins just now further validating his gut reaction that the little girl may well indeed be gifted when it came to the sacred bond between rider and horse…or in this case rider and pony.

Rachel nodded solemnly,this pony was her new friend and she wanted to prove that she was a big girl so she could ride this pony again and again.

"Like this?" She asked the old cowboy, who smiled back at her in a way that let her know she had done it exactly right.

"Just like that." Kyle assured her, grinning wider as he gave the pony a simple pat on her side, letting her know she could continue down the pasture.

_Rachel was a natural_, he was sure of it and his heart filled with joy over what she could achieve if given the chance to hone the instincts already inside of her.

"I can't believe how focused she is. I mean look at her…she actually holding the reins like she's done this a thousand times before." Cuddy whispered over to Kevin with pride as a smile stretched across the corners of her mouth.

"She's a natural." Kevin commented back to her with a proud smile of his own as his hand found its way back to the curve of her hip.

Cuddy leaned into his touch, her head resting on his shoulder as they both continued to look over at her little girl, the genuine affection in Kevin's voice when he spoke of Rachel combined with the time they were spending here today...together, and so close to the family she had always hoped for….. making her smile all the more as she wrapped her arm around his waist.

Meanwhile, from inside the pasture the old cowboy set about adjusting Rachel's posture in the saddle.

"Now when you're ride a pony slow like this it's very important that you make sure you're not slouched over. You need to be in control and guide Brandy so can trust you and know that you are looking out for her…understand?" Kyle explained to Rachel.

The little girl's face remained serious as she looked back him, her mind continuing to reach beyond anything else she had learned previously, instinctively knowing how important his instructions to her truly were.

Rachel nodded again. "I won't let anything bad happen to her." She promised sincerely and with every ounce of her small heart resting firmly on her words, her eyes looking directly into the old man's eyes before shifting back on the pony.

Shaking his head Kyle couldn't believe that at the age of seventy-one the good Lord still had managed to bless him with such a sweet surprise and with a smile now encompassing most of his face he turned his head towards the girl's mother who had been watching them both intently.

"Lisa, I think we may have to have a l talk later about your little cowgirl here." Kyle yelled over to her with an impressed tone.

"I think you're right Kyle." Kevin yelled back to him in agreement, knowing from spending more than his fair share around horses that what Rachel had been doing was something truly special indeed.

At hearing the statements from both men, Cuddy turned slightly to face Kevin.

"Is Kyle suggesting what I think he is?" She asked him, already having an inkling as to what the old cowboy was proposing.

Kevin nodded as he looked down at her. "Kyle's been teaching riding lessons for years, and from what he's seen with Rachel he'll probably want to talk to you about setting her up for a few lessons. That is if your ok with it." He informed her.

Cuddy bit down on her bottom lip, her brow creasing with a hint of worry.

"You think she's old enough for riding lessons? I'm mean Rachel's only going to be four in December and she is small for her age…." She started to say as her motherly instinct to protect her child came to the forefront.

At seeing her hesitation, Kevin placed his other hand on her hip, turning her to face him more directly while keeping her close to him.

"Lisa, I promise you that if Kyle had _any_ concerns about Rachel's safety or her ability to ride that pony… he wouldn't dream of mentioning anything to you at all." He assured her with a soft smile.

After listening to him, Cuddy glanced over at Rachel again, her little girl so undeniably focused and confident in her actions as Kyle continued to instruct her on handling the pony there was no way she could let this newly found gift her daughter possessed go unexplored.

"Ok." She agreed, knowing that Rachel's experiences on this day could very well be her first step on the path to becoming the independent and self-assured woman she hoped with all of her heart that her daughter would some day become.


	32. Chapter 32

**Hello peeps! Well I managed to get another chapter done and since I'm not sure how much time I can devote to writing the rest of the week, I'm going to go ahead and post it now! I hope you all enjoyed that last few chapters with Rachel….I'm really gonna miss not seeing on my screen anymore. Anyway I think you'll all like this next chapter so enjoy ;) BTW…there is House/hooker in this chapter…...you have been warned.**

**Chapter 32**

It was Thursday and around eleven thirty pm that Greg House found himself in an all too familiar situation.

The woman currently giving him a blow job in his living room was a brunette, the shape of her naked body very similar to one Lisa Cuddy. She was of course a prostitute, paid to be here with him and sucking on his dick like no tomorrow.

He closed his eyes as he sat on his couch, completely naked with her kneeling before him. His right hand moving into her dark hair as she moved her warm mouth up and down on his dick.

For a moment he could pretend. Pretend it was Cuddy doing this to him, conjuring up the sound of the soft moan that would come from her deep within her throat as she drove him wild with the motion of her tongue, remembering the way her gray eyes would look up at him, taking his breath away. His hips bucked up in response to the memory and the woman on her knees let out a moan of her own but all House heard was the sound of Cuddy's voice.

Without him knowing it he started to caress the hooker's cheek with his fingertips, the desire and love he felt for Cuddy still there, strong as ever and making him rock hard in this woman's mouth.

"Fuck me." He commanded to her, standing on the edge of his fantasy, not wanting it to slip away again as it often did these past few weeks.

Without hesitation the hooker got to her feet, eagerly straddled him on the couch. Time was money of course and she had others waiting tonight to use her after she got him off.

As she began to ride his cock House opened up his eyes, his blue ones meeting her green ones, looking directly as him as she spoke to him.

"You like that baby?" She questioned to him, caressing his cheek with a smile as her tits bounced before him.

House let out a sharp gasp, and just like that the spell was broken, his dick going limp in an instant inside of her…this new found "problem" of his lasting for nearly three weeks now.

The hooker on top of him had dealt with this before, seeing as she was one of the two whores he frequently requested to come and fuck him.

"It's ok baby….you want to try another position? Maybe doggy?" She asked him quickly, lifting up from him and reaching down for his cock, stroking it expertly as she balanced on her knees before him.

House shook his head. "Just go." He replied back to her dryly, knowing just like the times before this that no amount of stimulation was going to bring back what he had lost.

"You sure baby? I don't mind sucking your big cock some more it you want me to." She told him with a sexy, breathy voice, even though in truth she was already thinking of her next John for the night.

He looked away from her quickly, reaching for his wallet on the end table beside them and plucking out a few bills before handing them over to her.

"I'm sure." He answered as their eyes connected once more.

There were no emotions shared between them, no need for her to feel any sort of sympathy towards him at all …at least he had that to hold onto as she got off of him and started to get dressed.

Shutting the door behind her as she left, he walked over to the coffee table, pouring himself a scotch, now dressed in his boxer briefs.

His leg was throbbing like hell even though he hadn't done anything even _remotely _physical to it that would cause any undo stress.

Taking a long, hard swallow of the liquid in his glass he thought about the countless hookers he had fucked since Cuddy had dumped him, about the way he had used them to forget about her, about the way he used them to forget about the way she made him feel…like he was worth something….like he deserved to have her for his own because she saw something in him that made her believe in him.

He thought about seeing her tomorrow in the hospital and looking into her eyes, knowing she was now in love with someone else. He thought about the scent of another man's cologne on her skin when he stood next her and how it tore him apart inside. He thought about how the new man in Cuddy's life had everything that he had wanted but had been too afraid to fully commit to without fear of exposing himself completely to her. Her moans of desire, the smell of her skin, the feel of her hands on his body, the sound of her laughter….no longer his to claim as his own.

"You're a drug addict with a limp dick who's going to die alone." He whispered harshly to himself with self loathing, wondering just how in the hell he had sunken so low as he reached for the bottle to pour himself another scotch.

###############################################################################################################

On Friday morning and just a little bit after 6 am Kevin Bennet quietly snuck back inside Lisa Cuddy's home.

He had been out for a run this morning, just as he had done for years now as it was part of his morning routine. However, now that there was a little girl sleeping twenty feet from the front door, he was more cautious about the front door as he closed, his steps light and without sound so as not to wake her with his early morning re-arrival.

Peeking into the living he saw Lisa squatted down in front of her yoga mat.

"Just starting?" He whispered to her while his eyes traced over the curves of her body.

Her dark hair was up in a pony tail and she was wearing a thin, pink tank top…with no bra. Her torso covered in a pair of black Capri yoga pants that framed her ass perfectly.

In that moment he wanted nothing more than to fuck her like crazy until she moaned out his name. His desire for her racing as fast and hard as his heart had been earlier when his sprinted the last couple of yards to her house.

"Just finishing." Cuddy replied with a soft smile, looking over at Kevin and becoming instantly aroused by the sight of him as he stood in the archway of the living room as she started to roll up the mat before her.

Kevin was wearing blue running shorts and a gray tank top, the shimmer of sweat on his body, temptingly coating his toned, arms and strong legs. That, along with the handsome smile on his face and slight flush to his cheeks after his moring run, leaving her with only one thought on her mind.

"So did you have a good run?" She whispered coyly to him, adding a nice little swing to her hips as she walked over to him after placing the yoga mat on the couch.

Kevin smiled down at her, moving his hand to her hip and pulling her closer to him.

"It was very rejuvenating." He told her slyly, knowing exactly what was on her mind.

He loved the fact that they were so perfectly matched in their sexual desire for each other, never growing tired of each others bodies, always up to having sex anywhere and at anytime that they could, exploring new positions without hesitation while also relying on the tried and true positions that left them yearning for more.

"Rejuvenating huh? I think I'll be the judge of that." Cuddy replied back to him with a smirk as her hand moved to his chest before lowering down between his legs.

The feel of her hand on his cock had Kevin growing hard in an instant as a chill ran up his back.

"Didn't you get enough of me last night?" He asked with a devilish grin, playing it cool as she sent his ego soaring.

"I guess I'm greedy." She said to him in such a sultry and seductive way that he had no choice but to pull her into a deep and passionate kiss.

Cuddy let out a soft whimper as her back made contact with the wall behind her, Kevin's tall, muscular frame pressed tightly against her as their tongues met.

_God he was such an amazing kisser_, teasing her in the best kind of way with his tongue while his hand moved up her side before cupping her left breast with just the right amount of pressure.

"How much time do we have?" He asked her in a husky voice, breaking the kiss between them and being met by her smoldering eyes.

"Rachel won't be up for at least another thirty minutes." She assured him.

"Shower?" He proposed without hesitation.

Cuddy nodded, a small squeal leaving her mouth a second later and being muffled into the crook of his neck as Kevin picked her up and started to carry her down the hall.

"Remember we have to keep it down." She warned him a second later as he carried with ease towards the master bedroom.

"It's not me you should be worried about." He teased back to her, loving the way she rolled her eyes at him and pursed her lips just as reached the threshold of the room.

He was right of course and she knew it. Unable to argue the fact that her moans of pleasure were far more louder than his own. However, when the result of such noise is having mind-blowing sex at least twice a day everyday…..there really wasn't much to complain about. And so, instead of replying to his remark, Cuddy simply set about removing Kevin's tank top instead after he had lowered her bare feet onto the soft carpet of the bedroom.

##########################################################################################################################

"Oh god right there!" Cuddy moaned out from inside of the shower as her thighs began to quiver.

Kevin was taking her from behind, her right foot placed up on the lip of the tub, her left hand grasping onto the small bar above the molded soap tray of the shower with her right hand clasping onto the neck of the shower pipe for dear life, the angle of her body she had created for him, granting him far deeper penetration inside of her than if she was just standing bent over before him.

Kevin slapped her ass in response to her moans, not enough to hurt her, but with enough passion behind the act that would keep her moaning, both of them now riding high of their own adrenaline as they raced each other towards the finish line.

"Fuck….Lisa…keep pushing back on me…just like that baby." Kevin choked out between his labored breathing, his right hand shaking as it slid from the grip it had on her ass and down to her clit, his fingers rubbing the little nub with a frenzy as the hot water ran down both of their bodies.

Cuddy moaned out once more, thankful that the bathroom door was closed as she simply could not hold back, the way Kevin was fucking her now sure to leave her exhausted and with her lower back aching , the fireworks between them still leaving her yearing for the next time none the less as her thirst for him was unquenchable.

With his eyes traveling up and down on her naked, wet body, Kevin trembled as Lisa looked back him, her eyelids heavy wiith desire, her mouth open as she moaned out his name, his hips bucking hard and fast, continuing to drive his cock deep inside of her warm and incredibly wet pussy.

"Oh god baby….just like that…." Cuddy cried out, looking into his blue eyes and feeling the breath in her lungs suddenly escaping her as her entire body began to shake, the feel of his fingers fanning over her clit while his dick pumped relentlessly into her from behind, finally achieving their goal.

Kevin watched as Lisa lowered her head, her moans echoing off of the walls of the shower as her body trembled, his thrusts never wavering as he began to slow the motion of his hand, helping her to draw out her orgasm for as long as possible, his goal, as always to make sure her pleasure was the best she had ever experienced.

A moment later he found himself taking in a sharp breath when Lisa rose up a bit, her lower back resting on his lower belly, her right arm wrapping around the back of his neck as she remained balance on one foot.

"Keep fucking me baby." She coaxed to him with a kiss to his cheek and in the kind of voice that would leaving him forever at her mercy.

Kevin wrapped his right arm around her waist, his left hand placed firmly, palm down on the shower stall as he did as she requested, thrusting up into her over and over again until he cried out her name and came inside of her, his mouth lowering to her neck, teeth grazing the soft skin there as the muscles inside of her gripped him tightly, her fingernails digging slightly into the back of his neck as he felt her climaxing for the second time in a matter of minutes.

For the next few seconds there was nothing but the sound of there heaving breathing mixing in with the steady stream of the water from the shower head.

Cuddy cocked her head a bit, listening to make sure all the noise they had been making did not wake up Rachel.

"She's still sleeping." Kevin assured her, reading her mind as his hand started to caress her stomach.

"We should start getting dressed." Cuddy whispered back him, closing her eyes as her hand caressed his forearm, still wrapped around her waist.

"No….I never want to leave this shower." Kevin muttered against the wet skin of her shoulder, kissing her neck where a small bruise was now forming.

Cuddy let out a soft laugh, still floating on the waves of her receding orgasm.

"What about work?" She asked.

"Work can wait until tomorrow." He replied.

"Well then what about Rachel?" She questioned, looking back at him with a raised eyebrow.

He gave her a fake pout. "Ok you got me there. However…. I want the promise of more sex later when we go out on our date tonight." Kevin told her with a grin.

"Oh really?" Cuddy questioned with a grin of her own.

"Really." He confirmed with a nod, turning her around to face him directly as the water from the shower continued to run over their bodies.

"You know, I don't know if I should be offended or flattered by this demand for sex." She teased back to him.

"What can I say…..I'm greedy." He whispered down to her with a shrug of his shoulders and a loving smile before pulling her into another kiss.


	33. Chapter 33

**Hi everyone! Hope you're all still enjoying the story and thanks for the reviews ;)**

**Chapter 33**

"I have a case for you." Cuddy said later on during that Friday morning, walking into House's office and finding him stretched out on his cream colored, padded lounge chair with his feet resting on the matching ottoman.

House was holding an Ipad in his hands, and judging from the sounds coming from it, was watching a porno during company time.

"I have a massage with a hooker in five minutes. Wanna warm me up a bit first?" House muttered back to her, his eyes never leaving the screen of the Ipad he had stolen from Chase yesterday.

Cuddy rolled her eyes at him, snatching the Ipad from him and shutting it off.

"Masturbation time is over. You have work to do." She told him flatly, tossing the patient file in his lap.

House glared up at her, the scene being played out between them now feeling like an old movie he had seen far to many times. One in which the man and the woman in the movie never ablet to get past their differences long enough to become lovers. Torturing each other mentally while wrestling with their own frustrations.

The funny thing was though, Cuddy didn't look tortured at all. In fact….. even though she was irritated with him at the moment, he could see something in her eyes along with her body language that told him she was currently a very content and satisfied woman. The sharp edge of sexual tension that had once been so strong between them, no longer present as she looked down at him.

The revelation of this new fact brought forth the bitterness he still felt over their demise as a couple, causing him to clench his jaw.

"House, I'm not asking again." Cuddy warned as he remained seated in the chair.

House got to his feet, taking a step forward until only a few inches separated them as he eyes traced her face, her lips, her hair...where he found once more something that reminded him she was no longer his to claim.

"Your hair's still a little bit damp. I presume because of playing a game of hide the salami in the shower with boyfriend this morning? You know I still remember how much you liked getting nailed right before work. The way you would moan and carry on. Thank god Rachel is a deep sleeper." He rattled off to her in a cold voice and with the patient file now clutched in his right hand.

Cuddy took in a sharp breath, taking a step back from him.

"Houes, I don't want to fire you." She whispered at him harshly.

"But... I _will no_t have you talking to me like that anymore." Cuddy finished, looking into the empty eyes of a man she once loved and letting him know in no uncertain terms that his crass remarks about her love life were now and forever off limits.

"Then go ahead and fire me." House challenged back to her in a low voice, taking a step towards her once more.

Cuddy placed her hand on his arm, taking hold of it after initially feeling the need to slap him across the face for all of the bullshit he _continued_ to put her through on a daily basis.

But no, she couldn't do that. Couldn't give into his attacks any longer as it only fueled the fire inside of him.

"House." She whispered, this time more softly. "I need you at this hospital but I can't have you here if your only intent on self-destruction." Cuddy continued, her voice remaining calm as she set out the ultimatum to him while quickly getting to the heart of the matter.

The feel of Cuddy's slender hand on his arm sent a dagger of pain straight to House's heart. The smell of her perfume as he stood close to her, bringing back every haunting memory of being wrapped up in her arms, of making love to her as she kissed cheek, his neck, his lips, his world shattering once more in front him when he noticed the small, fresh bruise just behind her left earlobe.

It wasn't some well placed hickey that teenagers are famous for, but rather, a mark left in the heat of passion. The blood vessels under her soft skin broken open as Kevin had fucked her this morning, as he had made her cum for him while moaning out his name. Her body now aching for histouch instead of the man currently standing before her.

"House?" Cuddy questioned as he stared back at her with a blank, almost lifeless expression.

"I'm sorry." House whispered back to her suddenly as the gears inside his brain ground to a halt before changing their direction, the warmth of her touch now seeping deeper into his skin.

Cuddy stared back at him in shock. Not sure of what was happening. Not sure if this would be yet another step for him into the darkness he was slowly but ever so surely descending into.

"I'm still hurting …and it makes me say awful things to you. I want to get back to how we were before anything happened between us but I keep screwing up. I want you as my friend, Cuddy... not my enemy ." He blurted out to her as his brain started to spin in a new direction, spurned on by the warmth of her touch and the look in her cool, gray eyes just now.

A ting of nervousness rose up in Cuddy's stomach, unsure of were their conversation was heading.

"I remembered you telling me before that the last thing you wanted us to be was friends." She reminded him cautiously, looking into his blue eyes that were focused squarely upon her.

"I was wrong. I need you in my life Cuddy…even though it can't be the way I wanted to be. I still need you." House said to bak to her without hesitation, taking hold of her hand and removing it from his arm, so it could rest by her side once more, making sure to be as gentle as he could when performing the gesture.

Cuddy's eyes followed his every move, a soft sigh of relief escaping her lips when she saw the gesture was carried out with respect and not anger.

"House, I don't know what to make of this…" She started to say, her brain was doing the best it could to absorb everything that was going on between them now.

"Listen Cuddy, I know that I've been nothing but a total meddling ass when it came to you and Kevin. But I promise I'm done with that. I don't want to lose _everything_ we had just because we couldn't make things work when we were together. I need you in my corner. I need you to be here for me at the hospital when I want to try something totally off the wall with one of my patients just to make sure I'm not totally going off the deep end. And….. as crazy as it might seems…..I need you to be my friend so I can prove to myself that someone other than Wilson actually enjoys my company and thinks of me as a worthy human being." He explained to her.

The last part he had spoken to her with a somewhat sad, soft laugh, his eyes never leaving her face.

Cuddy drew in her bottom lip, saying nothing for the first few seconds as she digested all that he had said to her.

"Please don't let this be game between us." She warned him softly.

"It's not." House replied back to her just as softly.

She let out a soft breath of air through her nose, nodding gently.

"Ok House, if you need me….as a friend, we can try and work on that. But as far as keeping your vicodin under control as well as your mouth when it comes to my personal life ….you have to do that on your own. Understand?" Cuddy clarified for him.

House nodded. "Understood." He agreed.

Cuddy's eyes searched his face, her mind warning her not to put too much faith in his words as they had hurt her so badly before in the past. But….like it or not, there was always a apart of her that had wanted so badly for House to find some happiness in his life beyond his medical abilities and had never wavering even after their breakup, even after the endless nights she had cried herself to sleep over him.

"Good. Then go and get started on your case." She finally replied to him before turning and leaving his office.

Watching her go, House waited until she was out of sight before he smiled.

He had been going about this all wrong for the past couple of months. Trying to bully Cuddy into dumping JFK when it was so obvious to him now what he really needed to do.

Cuddy wanted a man she could trust. A man who could satisfy her both physically and mentally. A man who would be there to help with Rachel, loving the little girl as much as she did.

In short Cuddy wanted it all. The fairytale she had been told as child, here, in Princeton New Jersey. Even though she was closer to fifty than twenty now. Even though she was a single parent with a demanding job. It made no matter to her.

He of course knew all of this before they had even gotten together but foolishly he thought he could make her see what they had together was perfect…..just the way it was. That she was crazy to think she could have everything she wanted when the reality of this world tells us otherwise.

But no matter how many times he would point these things out to her, Cuddy kept right on believing in something more.

And so, he was done asking her for chances. Done yelling at her and making crude remarks to her about her body and her sex life. He was thru being so predicable to her. He was thru coming at her with his guns blazing. Done with his old tactics after feeling her touch once more. Done with all of the bullshit that pushed her away when he ached for her to be close to him. Finally, the light of wisdom had shone down upon him, thanks to the touch of her hand just now and the look in her eyes.

Finally he was now more certain than ever of one very important fact. Just like the world itself, just like all of her dreams….. Lisa Cuddy would _never_ give up on him. Her faith in him as a person, stretching well beyond his medical abilities. Her need to see him happy... something he planned on taking full advantage of.

And so, instead of chasing her around like the hound after the fox, he was going to go about things another way from now on. A much smarter way by becoming the friend to her that he never allowed himself to be, winning back her trust in small doses until she would realize that what she had with Kevin could never even begin to touch what they had together. Then and only then would he make his move on her, getting her back into his life and most importantly back into his bed once more.


	34. Chapter 34

**Well guy's I've been crazy busy but I managed to get another chapter done that I think you will like. As far as some of you asking if this story is going to turn into a Huddy fic…the answer is no. As I said in the beginning of this story, this is a Cuddy/OC fic and anyone looking for Huddy reunion best turn back now. KUDDY FTW! **

**Chapter 34**

Just as the sun had begun to set in the horizon during a Friday evening in late August, Kevin looked over at Lisa as she sat behind the steering wheel of her car, driving them to a destination that was of yet unknown to him.

"Come on, just give me one little hint." He begged to her with a smile as his eyes roamed over every inch of her gorgeous body.

Her dark hair was shining in the light of the disappearing sun. Her lips, having received a fresh application of an utterly kissable shade of coral lipstick. On her body she was wearing a coral summer dress with a plunging neckline, the hem of the dress falling just above her knees, her feet adorned with tan, strappy sandals that showed off her freshly painted toenails. The polish on her toes was an exact match to the coral summer dress she was wearing, her exposed, tan legs looking so enticing he took no time in placing his hand on her right knee as he had spoken to her.

"_I told you it's a surprise." _Cuddy stressed back to him with a smirk while keeping her eyes focused on the road.

"You know Lisa Cuddy…. _I do _have ways of making you talk." He warned her, inching his hand further up her leg.

Cuddy set her jaw, holding back her smile.

"I'm sorry, but my lips are sealed." She replied back to him smartly.

A devilish smile crept up on Kevin's face as she threw down the gauntlet in front of him.

"Is that so?" He challenged back to her in a low whisper while slipping his hand underneath her dress.

Cuddy took in a sharp breath, her heart suddenly beating faster inside of her chest as his hand continued to roam further up her thigh.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" She replied back to him casually, playing it cool while glancing over at him. As their eyes connected however, a shiver of excitement ran up her spine.

Kevin bit down on his bottom lip, his eyes lingering in hers for a moment before traveling down to her lap.

"Fine then, have it your way. But don't say I'd didn't warn you." He responded back to her a low growl, lifting his eyes to meet hers once more before she quickly focused back on the road.

As the heat of Kevin's touch seared into her inner thigh, Cuddy felt a pool of heat gathering between her thighs, the anticipation over what Kevin was going to do to her next the best kind of foreplay she could ask for.

Internally she told herself to hold her ground as she turned off of the main road and onto a suburban street. Reminding herself_ not_ to give in to him so easily as it would serve them both later on, hopefully in the form of some very intense, sizzling sex which had now become her addition.

Her promises to herself however where cast aside a second later when Kevin moved his hand to her panties, his long, middle finger quickly slipping beneath the lace where it instantly found her clit.

"Stop or I'm going to wreck!" Cuddy squeaked out in surprise, her foot pressing down on the gas instead of the brake with her hands temporary slipping on the steering wheel, causing her to swerve towards the curb as the feel of his finger on her sensitive little nub had sent a jolt of electricity thru her body.

Kevin chuckled from the passenger seat besdie, his eyes locked on her profile, noticing the blush in her cheek.

"Shhh just relax and enjoy this." He coaxed to her, pleased when she gained control of the car once more.

Carefully he began stroking her clit, watching as Lisa drew in a sharp breath between her pursed lips before she jerked the car to the right once more.

"Easy baby." He whispered over to her, secretly thrilled beyond belief that his touch had such a powerful effect on her.

"Kevin…please." Cuddy pleaded with a soft moan, her head now spinning, her entire body now aching for him as her fingers gripped tightly on the steering wheel.

"Please what?" He questioned to her with a wide smile, sliding his finger lower down on her body and feeling a strong tug on his groin at finding her already wet with desire for him.

"Please stop…I …I can't…" She said back to him in a hurried and regretful whisper, wanting nothing more than for him to continue but fearing for both of their lives as having an orgasm while behind the wheel of her car would most certainly end with her running her vehicle into a tree… or anything else for that matter which happened to be in her way during the 'big moment'.

Kevin let out a sigh, giving her a sympathetic smile when she looked his way and cupping her soft mound briefly before sliding his hand back onto her knee.

"You know we really need to work on your driving ability when it comes to receiving an orgasm. Maybe we can practice in a high school parking lot after our date." He teased, letting out a deep laugh as Lisa snapped her head over at him, shooting a few daggers his way.

"Very funny. Just remember…. payback can be a bitch." She warned him, even though she was not even remotely mad at his actions, but rather trying to one up him in this little sparring match they were now having.

"Payback as in you giving a blow job in my truck? Because as I recall you've already done that and unlike _you_ ...I was able to keep my vehicle under control." He told her smartly.

Cuddy let out a sharp laugh of her own. "You had to pull over so I could finish!" She reminded him as her brow furrowed.

"Well now, if you're going to start bringing up minor technicalities." He challenged back to her with a grin.

"You know you _used _to be so nice." She told informed him, rolling her eyes dramatically at him before feeling her heart skip a bit as he leaned in closer to her.

"Tell me you're not dying to have sex with me right now." He stated to her in a low whisper as he brushed his lips against her ear lobe.

Cuddy swallowed hard as Kevin's fingers started to caress her bare knee. Her throat feeling tight as he kept her tethered to this lover's game they were now playing, her foot pressing on the brake as she slowed down the car, pulling it alongside the curb of a suburban street before placing the vehicle into park and turning to face him.

"I always want to have sex with you. No matter where we are. No matter what else is going on in the world. I always want you." She confessed to him while reaching up and caressing his cheek.

"That's my girl." Kevin replied back to her softly, feeling his heart swelling with desire for her, his eyes searching her face just before he leaned closer to her, capturing her lips with his own.

They became lost in one another, the feel of their seatbelts biting into their necks having no success in breaking the spell between them as Kevin's hand slipped underneath Lisa's dress once more, possessively gripping onto her hip as his tongue slid into her mouth and her fingers gripped onto the short hair on the back of his neck, the soft glow of the street light above them bearing witness to the two lovers inside.

Cuddy moaned into Kevin's mouth, her nipples becoming hard as the ache between her thighs started to build once more, her heart pounding furiously inside of her chest before it was suddenly met by an equally loud and insistent pounding from outside of the car.

_"Excuse me!"_

A voice, muffled ...but sharp none the less and filled with outrage to boot suddenly followed the thumping on the glass and had Lisa and Kevin jumping in surprise as it had abrubtly ended their little make out session.

"What the hell?" Kevin uttered under his breath, turning in his seat to see the cause of the distraction that had come from his side of the car.

Standing before him was an old, gray haired woman, with what appeared to be a very small and unlucky dog who was whining at her feet, her uptight and prude appearance reminding Kevin of the Queen of England herself.

"There are children in this neighborhood!" The old woman scolded to them both thru the glass, as if she had just stumbled upon two horny teens inside of a parked car who were well on their way to third base.

In an instant Kevin broke into an uncontrollable, full bellied laughter as Cuddy's jaw dropped to the floor.

Cuddy knew she should be mortified, knew she should be completely embarrassed to have been found in such a compromising position.

However ...as the old woman locked eyes with her, carrying a most sour expression on her face, Cuddy suddenly found herself laughing as well, her sides literally aching over the humorous situation that was nearly brining her to tears.

"Dr…drive." Kevin managed to spit out between his laughter, motioning to her with one hand as his other one gripped onto his stomach.

Cuddy nodded, glancing over at the woman one more time and sticking her tongue out as her before she put the car in drive and sped off into the night, with Kevin still howling in the passenger seat beside her as she giggled uncontrollably.

Catching his breath a few seconds later, Kevin looked over Lisa….her laughter subsiding as well and being replace with a wide grin, stretching the corners of her tempting mouth.

"Well I don't know about you, but there's no doubt in my mind that woman has _never_ had an orgasm in a car." He said to her quite frankly, finding himself laughing once more and watching as Lisa started to crack up again as well beside him, placing her hand on his thigh and giving it a hardy squeeze.

"God I love you, Kevin!" Cuddy blurted out with a dazzling smile, feeling her heart skip a beat when she realized she had _never_ had this much fun with a man in her life before.


	35. Chapter 35

**Hi everyone! Well, I had a little trouble with this last chapter so hopefully it will be worth the wait. Also I think I'm coming near the end of this story as I am finding myself less and less interested in House overall and excited to see Lisa E in her new role on The Good Wife. I hope you guys enjoyed what you've read so far and will stick with me till the end. Thanks!**

**Chapter 35**

The moon was now suspended high in the night sky when Lisa and Kevin finally reached their destination.

"You know, I think I've been here before." Kevin said, a small smile separating his lips as Lisa pulled into the entrance of Edgewood park.

It was of course the same park he had taken her to on their first date.

"Is that so?" Cuddy replied back with smirk, playing along while shutting off the engine to the car.

Taking off his seatbelt, Kevin turned to face her. "So... exactly how are we going to sneak into the park at this time of night without getting kicked out by the cops?" He asked her with interest, knowing that since there was no music festival going on in the park tonight it had officially closed at seven pm, exactly two hours before their arrival here tonight.

Cuddy gave him a dazzling smile. "Don't worry. I'm friends with the mayor, who has _assured_ me the park is ours for the rest of the night."

Kevin gave her an impressed look.

"A woman with connections. No wonder I can't keep my hands off you." He whispered over to her before leaning closer to her and stealing another sweet kiss from her lips.

##########################################################################################

After leaving the car, Kevin and Lisa had walked on the familiar path that led them to the rolling hills of the park. the bright and full moon in the night sky above them, helping to light the way.

As they stood at the end of the pathway, Kevin's eyes were instantly drawn to the group of small, glimmer lights near the bottom of the hill.

"Babe…what did you do?" He whispered over to Lisa with surprise as he reached for her hand.

The flickering lights were coming from nearly two dozen candles housed in red glass globes and set upon the grass. Those same candles bordering a large burgundy and gold quilt, the size of it easily enough to cover a king sized bed.

On top of the quilt, a table setting of fine white china with gold trim had been carefully placed and complemented by two long stemmed wine glasses and gold flatware. A large wicker basket was set in the corner of the quilt, no doubt containing their dinner and drink for the night.

"Actually _I_ didn't do anything. I just called up a cater and asked her if she'd mind setting this up for me." Cuddy replied back to him casually as they started to walk hand in hand towards the quilt.

"This is really great. Remind me to thank you properly later." He whispered over to her with a broad smile, wrapping his arm around her waist as they made their way down the hill.

"So does this mean I'm gonna get lucky tonight?" Cuddy teased back to him as she moved her slender hand down to his ass, giving it a firm squeeze.

Kevin chuckled, pulling her body against his own as they reached the quilt.

"Keep grabbing my ass and we won't even make it thru the first course." He warned her, his eyes tracing ever inch of her beautiful face as her full bodied laughter echoed through the hills of the empty park.

#########################################################################################################

An hour later, after a bottle of wine had been consumed along with the delicious meal accompanied by some engaging conversation, Kevin and Lisa had started to kiss, their actions, slow and teasing as first before their passion started to build in intensity and heat.

However, just as Kevin begin to lower her onto the quilt beneath them, Cuddy moved her lips away from his, her palms pressing into his chest to prevent him from going any further.

She watched with regret as he gave her a puzzled look.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Kevin, there's something we need to talk about." She told him softly, knowing she could not longer put off telling him what had happened between her and House earlier today.

"Ok." Kevin agreed with a nod, coming into a seated position once more.

"Ok." Cuddy echoed, taking in a breath before continuing.

"Kevin…..I…..I want you to know that what we have together is something very special to me." She went on to say.

_God that sounded so cliché and she wrinkled her face in embarrassment as soon as the words had left her lips._

"Oh god…Kevin I'm sorry that sounded so cheesy." Cuddy quickly added as she rubbed her forehead in frustration.

Kevin's brow wrinkled as he reached up and took her hand in his own. "It's ok Lisa, just talk to me." He coaxed to her gently, not knowing what had suddenly caused her to become this nervous around him and feeling a bit unnerved as to what the cause may be.

Cuddy drew in her bottom lip, nodding again. She wanted to be honest with him, _needed _to be honest with Kevin because he was the best thing that had ever happened in her life besides having adopted Rachel.

"Before I tell you what I need to tell you tell ….I want you to know how much you mean to me." She tried to explain again.

He gave her a soft smile. "I know, babe." Kevin assured her as his hand kept hold of her own.

"And I don't want anything to change between us." Cuddy started to say, taking another few steps towards the real issue at hand.

"Lisa, nothing you could ever tell me is ever gonna change the way I feel about you." He assured once more, however, now growing more concerned over what was currently on her mind that was causing her so worry when it came to his feelings for her.

Cuddy looked at him for a moment before speaking again.

"Kevin, I never want to hide anything from you…" She prefaced, watching as the worry in his face grew. "Which is why I wanted to tell you about what happened at the hospital today between me and House." She finished, letting her words sink in for a moment.

"Did he hurt you?" Kevin asked her immediately, his mind already racing with possible scenarios.

"No…nothing like that." She assured him quickly, watching as his eyes remained fixed on her. "And actually quite the opposite. House asked me if we could try and be friends." She finally confessed to him while giving a gentle squeeze to his hand.

Kevin looked back at her and said nothing, turning his head away from her and looking out at the darkness surrounding them.

"Kevin?" Cuddy whispered, reaching out and taking hold of his arm after having waiting a few seconds for him to respond.

Her voice succeed in making him look back in her direction.

"Do you still love him, Lisa?" Kevin asked her with a glimmer of hurt now reflected in his eyes.

"No." Cuddy answered without delay.

"Then _why on earth _would you want to be friends with House after all that he's done to you? After what he tried to do to us?" He pointed out to her, a hint of anger now mixed in with the hurt he was feeling at the moment.

Cuddy paused before answering, the look on Kevin's face making her take great care with her next choice of words.

"I know you think House is a jerk. And _I know _most people in my position would have fired his ass a long time ago…..but the truth is House needs me in his life." She started to explain to him.

"I have not doubt House _needs you_." Kevin interrupted. "But what I need to know is why _you_ need him in _your_ life." He finished.

His blue eyes were now set squarely upon her as he waited for her response. The air surrounding them now feeling as heavy and looming as their conversation.

Cuddy felt her throat tightened. "I….I don't know." She found herself suddenly saying, not knowing where those words had come from.

"_You do know_." Kevin replied back to her in an urgent whisper.

"Kevin... you know I need House at my hospital." She tried to reason with him.

"I understand you need him at your hospital, but that's different from House wanting to be your friend and we both know that." He pointed out her to her once more, his words remaining calm even though inside of him there was now a raging battle over the topic of their conversation.

He knew they'd get to this point in their relationship eventually, knew that sooner House was going to try another angle with Lisa as the man was obviously still in love with her. What he didn't count on was stumbling upon the secret Lisa had kept hidden from him all this time. The one she was trying her damdest to hide as she looked over at him now, the one that was tearing him apart.

"I know I don't_ need_ House as a friend. But I have known him a long time and I want him to be happy. Please don't make me chose between the two of you." Cuddy said in her defense.

"That's not why you want to be his friend." Kevin argued back to her with his voice still remaining calm.

Cuddy furrowed her brow at him as he looked down at their hands. "I told you I'm not in love with House." She stressed, dipping her head down and thereby _making_ him look her into her eyes once more.

"And yet you keep holding on to him, Lisa? Even after he's treated you worse than any true friend every would because you're afraid" He watched the shock begin to fill he face but continued anyway, unwilling to let the threat to both of them remain hidden in the shadows. "Whether you want to admit to me or not you're afraid if things don't work out between us you'll have nothing. Adn with House around... you'll at least have _something_. Even if he continues to hurt you over and over again, you won't let go because House _needs you_. And if you can't be loved by me...you'll settle for being needed by him. He'll beat you down with that need until you can't even remember what love is supposed to feel like and eventually he'll get you to welcome him back into your bed and believe that he's what you deserve." Kevin told her solemnly, finding every ounce of strength now gone inside of him.

"You're wrong." Cuddy said with a gasp, stunned once more as Kevin suddenly got up and left her.

Kevin felt his head start to pound as the invisible weight that Lisa refused to see was now bearing down on him with every step he took.

"Kevin wait!" Cuddy called out from behind him as the sound of her footsteps chased after him.

"Stop!" She added a second later, her hand reaching out for his bicep to prevent him from going any further.

"Why should I?" Kevin questioned, spinning around to face her.

She looked absolutely breathtaking just now. The moonlight highlighting every beautiful inch of her face as her wide gray eyes looked up at him.

"Because I love you!" Cuddy blurted out, her chest now heaving from the emotions running through it.

"Not enough to leave House behind! Not enough to finally tell that son of a bitch goodbye and give me all of your heart because your so afraid I might end up breaking it just like he did!"

Kevin felt his hands shaking, realizing only after he had spoken to her that he had been holding onto Lisa's arms, keeping here with him as he face the demon head on, the expression on her face now a mixture of hurt, shock and confusion as a tear ran down her cheek.

"I'm sorry." He whispered as she remained silent, feeling his heart now breaking right along with hers..

"I should have never asked you out so soon after you ended things with House. I should have left your office and never thought twice about you instead of starting something you're clearly not ready for." Kevin finished, looking into her eyes one last time before he turned and left her alone under the glow of the moonlight.


	36. Chapter 36

_**A short chapter…but I hope a good one none the less for you guys. The story is going to be winding down now. I'm thinking with maybe 2-3 chapters left, but of course don't hold me to that haha. Anyway enjoy peeps!**_

_**Chapter 36**_

"You're right!" Cuddy yelled up to Kevin just as he reached the top of the hill inside of the park.

She took in a sharp breath as her words had made him halt for the moment.

Closing his eyes, Kevin took in a deep breath. Her voice had been filled with so much utter desperation it succeeded in tearing a hole right through him. The need for him to turn around and free her from her current plight, struggling against the need inside of him to walk out of her life as she was not ready to fully commit to what they could have together.

"You were right about House and how I've continue to hold onto him for all of these years." Cuddy confirmed with the next breath she took, her voice a bit stronger now as her feet were suddenly set in motion by the beating of her heart.

She took long strides, her sandals padding quickly across the soft grass, afraid Kevin would start to walk away from her again if she hesitated for even the slightest moment.

"In fact for years now I know that my connection with House has pretty much sabotaged every relationship I've tried to have with any other man in my life. And, even though I'm ashamed to admit it now….I was ok with that because I believed that House needed and understood more more than those other men ever could."

Cuddy had now made her way up to Kevin, her breath catching in her throat as she stepped in front of him once more, finding his blue eyes focusing squarely upon her.

Taking a gamble, she reached out and took hold of his right arm.

"But I'm not ok with it now because I need you in my life more then I've ever needed House. You understand me in a way he never could and you love me without holding anything back... even if it could end up hurting you. I love you Kevin, more than I've ever loved any man in my life…including House, and becasue of you I'm finally ready to let go of him and move on. I want you in my life Kevin...I only want you." Cuddy confessed to him in a steady stream of words, afraid he would leave her once more before she had a chance to finish.

With her heart beating fast inside of her chest she counted the seconds passing between them now after she had said her peace, that same heart skipping a beat as she watch his lips begin to part as he spoke to her in a voice that low and wary of the ground it was treading upon.

"You're really ready to let go of him? " Kevin found himself whispering down to her, feeling a chill run up his back even though the night air was warm and inviting, both his mind and his heart needing desperately to hear her say those words again as he knew of the long history Lisa had shared with House.

Cuddy nodded, her hand sliding down to his own, her fingers now intertwined with his as she gave him a small smile.

"Yes. I love you Kevin, and I'm not going to let anything or _anyone_ screw this up for us." She confirmed to him once more.

Kevin looked away from her for a moment, swallowing hard before his eyes set upon her beautiful face again.

"I thought I'd lost you." He told her with an ache to his tone that found its way straight into her heart.

"You could never lose me." Cuddy told him in a loving whisper before standing up on her tiptoes and placing a soft kiss upon his lips.

#####################################################################################

Later, as the night stretched closer towards the hour of midnight and underneath the watchful eye of the fat moon, Kevin felt the softness of Lisa's hair falling down around him, trapping him within its warmth. The cushion of the soft grass was now against his back as he lay on top of the quilt. The feel of it, better than any mattress he had ever laid his head upon as the women he loved with all of his heart sat on top of him, her knees resting on opposite sides of his hips, her hands caressing his chest as she pulled away from the kiss they were sharing to gaze into his eyes.

"Are you sure about this? You know we could end up getting caught by some city cop with too much time on his hands." He reminded her as she looked down at him with the glow of the moon reflected in the slate gray color of her eyes.

"I don't care." Cuddy whispered back to him with a small smile, bending down to steal another kiss from his lips and letting out a soft moan as Kevin slid his hands underneath the summer dress she was wearing, ghosting them up her legs before placing them possessively on her hips.

It didn't take long for him to remove the panties she was wearing as she lifted up a bit to help him before her hands moved to the button on his jeans, unzipping his fly a second later.

Within the next kiss they shared she lifted up once more, her hand reaching down and guiding him inside of her, a sharp gasp escaping her lips as he bucked up and filled her completely.

As the passion and love they had for each other combined and ignited the familar fire between them, Kevin's hands quickly went on a journey over Lisa's body, with one of them cupping and squeezing her left breast as the other gripped firmly onto her ass as he thrust up and she flexed her hips down upon him hard and fast. In the end. and after the stars behind their eyes had faded, leaving them both lying on their backs with the stars in the sky above them now bearing witness to their bliss, Cuddy turned her head and looked over at Kevin.

"Thank you for coming into my office all those months ago and asking me out." She whispered, watching as an easy smile crept up onto Kevin's face.

"Actually, I should be thanking you for accepting and becoming the best thing that's ever happened to me." He responded back to her sincerely, reaching over to where she was lying beside him and tracing the curve of her jaw with his fingertips.

Rolling on her side as Kevin pulled her closer to him, Lisa Cuddy faced the summer night with a new light now blazing inside of her. One she had not witnessed in a very long time. One that held the promise of change and all the wonderful things that were waiting around every corner for her now as the puzzle pieces finally slid into place.


	37. Chapter 37

**Hi everyone! Well hopefully some of you are still reading this story and I apologize for the delay in the chapters, but real life keeps getting busier. Anyway here's another chapter and I hope you all enjoy it ;)**

**Chapter 37**

On Monday morning, Lisa Cuddy had found herself running from one meeting to the next as the sun rose high in the sky over Princeton. The morning, slipping away from her minute by minute until she finally found herself back inside of her own office just a little past twelve thirty.

Seated behind her desk, she had just started to call Kevin's cell phone when there was a knock at her door.

It was House, and at seeing him, Cuddy placed her office phone back down on its receiver as she motioned for him to come in.

"You're a busy woman." House commented over to her as he walked inside of the office.

"Do you need something?" Cuddy asked him while leaning back in her chair.

"Just wondering if you felt up to buying me lunch today?" House asked, now standing before her.

'I'm sorry I can't…" She started to say.

"Lunch plans with Kevin?" House interrupted nonchalantly, while of course watching her every move to see if things with the boy toy were still going ok.

Cuddy did seem a little bit nervous, but about what he didn't know.

"No, it's not that." Cuddy replied, watching as House looked back at her with even greater interest, now waiting for an explanation.

"It's just…" She started up once more as her mind thumbed through the conversation she had with Kevin last Friday night, the turning point in her life that was long overdue now literally standing before her.

"It's just what?" House questioned, sensing a hint of something unsettling in her demeanor as she looked back at him.

Letting a small breath escaped from her lips, Cuddy decided now was as good a time as any to say what needed to be said to House, to take that long overdue step forward in her life now that she had found the man of her dreams.

"House, I've decided that we need to keep things strictly professional between us. That means no lunches together." She said, finding a small bit of triumph in the fact that those words were no longer followed by a that old familiar tug on her heart which had once been reserved for him.

She watched as his face hardened a bit.

"So I take it Kevin didn't like the idea of the two of us remaining friends?" He questioned back to her in a low voice, his blue eyes now searing into her cool gray ones.

"This isn't about, Kevin." Cuddy replied.

"Like hell it isn't." House responded, leaning heavy upon his cane as he allowed the anger within him to show its face a bit.

Cuddy got up from her chair, looking back at him without an ounce of guilt or the familiar hurt he had so often caused to her.

"Fine House, you're right….this is about Kevin, and about Rachel, and about me finally moving on in my personal life without you." She replied back to him.

For a moment he stared back at her and said nothing.

"If I recall, you tried moving on before with Lucas and wound up in my bed instead." He reminded her with a cool tone of confidence.

He wasn't buying any of this…not for one moment.

Cuddy let out a short breath of air through her nose, shaking her head slightly before she spoke.

"I known you think that I'll never be able to get over you because of the history that we share….but you're wrong, House. I love Kevin and I'm not going to jeopardize what I have with him by continuing to play these games with you. It's over between us…it has been for quite some time now." She stated as their eyes remained locked on one another.

"So that's it then?" House questioned back her in an instant, calling her bluff.

"That's it." Cuddy confirmed without hesitation while crossing her arms in front of her.

House set his jaw, his lips parting slowly as he spoke to her.

"I quit." He announced to her from out of the blue as his eyes searched her own one last time before he turned, limping out of her office and slamming the door behind him.

#################################################################

A few minutes after House had left her office, Cuddy reached for the phone on her desk once more, dialing Kevin's number.

"Hey babe, what's up?" Kevin answered while standing on top of a hill and looking down at the buzzing construction site below him.

Cuddy couldn't help but smile at the sound of his voice, wishing he could be with her now.

"I just got done talking to House about keeping things strictly professional between us." She informed him, turning in her seat a bit to look at out the beautiful day before her.

"How'd he take it?" Kevin asked with interest as his eyes scanned over the landscape and his heart waited on her answer.

Cuddy let out a sigh. "He quit." She told him while turning back around in her chair.

"House quit?" Kevin repeated back to her with surprise.

"Yep." Cuddy said, adding a small pop to the letter "p" at the end of the word.

Kevin rubbed his jaw, wishing he could be with her inside of her office now instead of being miles away at his newest job site.

"How do you feel about that?" He asked her, hoping she knew that she was safe in confiding whatever she was feeling to him.

Cuddy paused before answering.

"Actually, to be honest…I'm kinda of relieved." She confessed to him, feeling a small smile begin to tug at the corners of her mouth.

Kevin furrowed his brow. "Are you sure you're ok, Lisa? You don't have to hide anything from me if you're not ok." He stressed to her with a soft voice, worried that maybe she was trying to shield him a bit from her true feelings.

At hearing the concern in his voice, Cuddy was quick to respond.

"No…it's nothing like that, Kevin…. I swear. Look, I know this may sound totally off base, but when House told me he was quitting just now, for the first time in a long time I couldn't think of one good reason for him to stay. Don't get me wrong, House _is_ a brilliant doctor…but since you and I have been together and you've show me how good things can really be in my life…. I've finally realized that House being a brilliant doctor alone simply isn't good enough for this hospital…not anymore." She stated, feeling the smile continue to grow on her face as a surge of energy ran up her spine, much like the first day Kevin had stepped into her office, bringing out something inside of her she never even knew was missing.

At hearing her response, Kevin smiled, wanting even more to be by her side in that moment just to see her face and bear witness to the amazing and strong woman now talking to him on the other end of the line.

"Good for you, Lisa." He said with pride.

"Well you might not think so when I tell you I have to stay late tonight to work on a plan of action for the board regarding House's resignation and will probably have to stay late for the next few weeks to make sure things work out ok for the hospital." She told him regretfully.

Kevin let out a soft laugh. "It's fine Lisa, whatever you need to do to make things work." He assured her.

Again Cuddy found herself smiling. "So will you be ok with taking Rachel to her riding lessons and staying at my place during the next few weeks instead of me having Marina work overtime?" She questioned, just to be sure.

"Of course babe, don't worry. We'll work it out." Kevin answered immediately as he started to walk back down the hill and towards the job site.

Cuddy closed her eyes for a moment, thankful for all that had happened to her over the past few months, happy beyond belief with the new man in her life who was making each day better then the last for both her and her daughter.

"I love you." She then said softly into the phone, hearing those words repeated back to her by Kevin before she hung up with him and began working on exactly how to get the hospital to move on from House…just like she had finally done.

#########################################################################

"You can't just let him quit!" Wilson announced nearly an hour later as he stormed into Cuddy's office.

Cuddy looked up from her computer unimpressed, her fingers halted from their progress by Wilson's intrusion.

"House is a big boy, if he no longer wishes to be employed by this hospital then so be it." She remarked back to him casually.

Letting out a huff, Wilson put his hands on his hips as he stared down at her.

"You know there's not a hospital within in a hundred miles of here that would hire him." He pointed out to her.

"Not my problem." Cuddy told him curtly before focusing back on her computer screen.

"_Not your problem? _Jesus Cuddy, what in the hell happened to you?" Wilson blurted out in frustration.

Cuddy shot him glare, getting up from her seat, planting her hands on the desk and leaning forward as she faced him head on.

"You want to know what happened to me, Wilson? I finally realized that putting up with House's crap for all of these years wasn't doing me, or this hospital any good. I've given House more chances than any other employee here and he's pissed away every single one of them. I'm done babysitting House, and if you have a problem with that I suggest you take it up with the board." She told him bluntly, not in the mood to mince words with the oncologist.

Wilson looked back at her stunned. "So that's it then? You're just gonna turn your back on him?" He asked in disbelief.

Cuddy nodded with her head held high. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing, Wilson."

#########################################################################################

It was a little bit after seven pm when Robert Chase made his way to Lisa Cuddy's office. The news of House quitting, delivered to him by the man himself as his boss had stormed into the conference room hours ago, leaving him and the rest of the team stunned before heading into his office and throwing some personal items into a box and leaving.

Running his hands through his blonde hair, Chase stared at Cuddy through the glass doors of her office before knocking.

Her eyes were focused on her computer, her demeanor poised and her posture confident as she continued to type on the screen. If House's resignation was having any effect on her, Cuddy certainly wasn't showing it through her body language.

Balling his hand into a soft fist, he knocked on the door, being greeted by her smile when Cuddy turned her head in his direction, motioning him to come in.

"Thanks for meeting me so late in the day, Chase. Please take a seat." Cuddy said as she watched him walk up to her.


	38. Chapter 38

**Hi everyone! Well, real life keeps getting more hectic, but here's another chapter for you to enjoy ****J**

**Chapter 38**

"So, what do you think?" Cuddy asked Chase, leaning forward in her chair and resting her arms on the desk in front of her.

"I.." Chase started to say, before his face went blank for a moment, the fact that Cuddy has just offered him the role of Head of the Diagnostic department still leaving him a bit stunned at first.

However, not one to let such an amazing opportunity slip by him, Chase quickly shook off the initial shock of her proposal, his eyes now set squarely upon Cuddy as he spoke to her once more.

"You know if I accept it's almost certain, Foreman's going to quit next." He informed her frankly.

Cuddy nodded in recognition. "Of course, which is why one of your first duties as the new head of the diagnostic department will be finding Foreman's replacement on your team."

_His team_, Chase had to admit he did like the sound of that.

"So, are you accepting?" Cuddy pushed, watching a small smile formed on Chase's face.

"I guess I am." Chase answered back to her with confident smile, knowing, as well as Cuddy did that his time spent under House's watch had been meant to groom him for a moment just like this one.

"Good, then we'll meet with your team tomorrow and make the announcement together." Cuddy replied with a confident smile of her own.

################################################################################

It was a little after eight pm when Cuddy finally walked through the front door of her home, tired from the long day she had been through, but also feeling good about her accomplishments on this day as well.

She had no sooner set down her breifcase when she saw Kevin appear in the hallway after exiting the kitchen.

"Hey beautiful." Kevin said to her with an easy smile, while drying his hands on a dishcloth before slinging it over his right shoulder.

As Kevin made his way towards her, Cuddy eyes followed his every move.

He was wearing a pair of faded blues jeans and dark green t-shirt as he walked up to her in his bare feet, the sight of him, breathtakingly handsome and tall and with that amazing smile on his face instantly placing her at ease while pulling a smile from her own lips as he drew closer to her.

"Hey." Cuddy said softly in return, taking in a sharp breath at the feel of Kevin's five o'clock shadow brushing against her cheek as he leaned down and kissed her, caused a shiver to run up her spine.

"Hungry?" He asked her a second later after the kiss ended.

"Starving." Cuddy acknowledged while taking in the delicious aroma of the food Kevin had prepared for them both.

He smiled down at her, his right hand moving to her hip.

"Good. Everything's pretty much ready to go so get and changed into something more comfortable and I'll meet you out on the patio." He instructed to her before giving her round ass a small pat as he nodded back towards the master bedroom.

Before heading in that direction however, Cuddy rose up on her tiptoes and kissed him again, unable to resist the man before her who made it his mission to make her happy, a small yelp escaping her mouth a second later as her sultry, sweet kiss resulted in his large hand suddenly gripping harder onto the soft flesh of her backside as he pinned her against the door.

"Stop….you'll wake Rachel!" She scolded up to him with a gasp.

"I'm not the one who started this." Kevin pointed out to her with a wolfish grin as her rubbed his pelvis against her own.

"I have_ no idea_ what you're talking about. Now, if you'll excuse me... I'm going to quietly get changed." Cuddy replied back to him innocently as she eased herself out of his arms and started to make her way towards the master bedroom.

"Oh no you don't you little tease." Kevin whispered to her in a heavy whisper of his own, now only a breath behind her as he scooped her up in his arms.

The sound of her laughter vibrated in his throat as she pressed her lips against his skin, the feel of her arms wrapped around his neck as he carried her into the master bedroom, possibly one of the best things he had experience on this earth.

"What about dinner?" Cuddy asked breathlessly a few seconds later, already feeling the heat pooling between her thighs as he threw her down onto the bed.

"Dinner can wait." Kevin whispered back to her with a low growl as his eyes filled with lust, his hands quick to rid him of his t-shirt before crawling on top of her and kissing her with a hunger that would not be denied.

######################################################################################################################

The sex between them had been hot and intense. The way Kevin had stripped her of all of her clothes before getting her onto all fours in a matter of minutes and driving himself deep inside of her, giving Cuddy goosebumps now as she padded down the hallway in her barefeet towards Rachel's room, dressed in a thin tank top and soft cotton shorts, her body still buzzing with the energy they had created. The way she had pushed back on him as she flexed her hips up sharply to met every one of his thrusts, leaving her still aching for more and assuring they would indeed have sex once more tonight before drifting off to sleep in each others arms.

_God he had made her cum so hard just now_, leaving her no choice but to bury her head in the pillow beneath her in order to stifle her screams and moans of desire, the sight of her messed up hair and flushed cheekbones as she glanced at her image in the hallway mirror as she passed it with the smell of her lover still lingering on her skin, causing her to giggle like the lovesick fool she was.

"I'm surprise you still have a voice left after what we just got done doing." Kevin teased to her, smacking her ass playfully as he passed by her, now dressed in his pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt as he headed towards the kitchen to re-heat their dinner.

Cuddy shook her head in dismay, a very satisfied sigh escaping her lips as she turned the knob on Rachel's door.

She was of course still riding high from her orgasm, with a tremendous smile stretched across her face as she snuck into her child's room, finding her daughter fast asleep in her small toddler bed, a stuffed lion tucked under her right arm as the moonlight illuminating her cherub face,

Cuddy shook her head once more, this time in amazement. Everything she had ever hoped for was here, tucked inside her one story house, safe and sound.

On the nightstand beside her daughter was the book "Green eggs and Ham" the pages already worn from the many times Rachel had requested the story be read to her.

At seeing the book, Cuddy smiled even more, leaning down and giving Rachel a small kiss on the cheek, knowing the man that had read the story to her tonight took great care in deepening his voice as he told of Sam's dislike of green eggs and ham, his brow crinkling, his blue eyes sparkling as he sat beside Rachel in her bed and made the tale come to life for her, the little girl in this bed…. loved by him as much as if she was his own.

After leaving Rachel's room, Cuddy walked through the empty kitchen and towards the French doors that led out to the patio, finding Kevin with his back facing her as he poured some wine into one of the two glasses he had placed on the rattan coffee table. Resting on the coffee table as well was their dinner of angel hair pasta, grilled chicken and sautéed vegetables, already having been spooned upon two white china plates.

Situated behind the coffee table was a cushioned outdoor couch, framed by two end tables on opposite sides of it with several potted plants placed here and there to complete the intimate setting. Before getting their plates ready, Kevin had placed and lit several white, pillar candles scented with jasmine onto the coffee table as well the end tables.

"This is beautiful." Cuddy remarked with a hushed whisper as she stepped out onto the patio, closing the door behind her just as Kevin had set the wine bottle onto the coffee table.

Kevin shrugged. "It's just a few candles and some dinner." He said to her in a manner in which told of how this was what he felt would be the very _least_ he could do for the hardworking woman he loved.

Cuddy let out a soft laugh, walking towards him and wrapping her arms around his waist.

"You do know you've spoiled me for any other man?" She told him coyly with a smirk.

"Ah, so my devious plan worked!" He joked back to her before reaching behind them and offering a glass of wine.

Cuddy shook her head, taking the glass from him and following him as he sat down on the couch.

"So you think Doctor Chase is going to be able to fill House's shoes?" He asked her as he reached for his own glass of wine while moving his free arm around the back of the couch.

Of course she had told him of her decision early today before she had headed home for the night.

Cuddy nodded as she took a sip of her wine. "I know it's going to be a struggle for Chase as times, but he's every bit as intelligent as House…he just needs to blaze his own path now." She responded, before leaning forward and eyeing the food in front of her.

"This looks delicious." She commented, staring down at the mouthwatering dish and reaching for her fork when she felt Kevin's eyes upon her.

"Is something wrong?" She asked him, noticing that he had made no move for his own plate.

"It's nothing. It's just that…my Mom called after I put Rachel to bed and invited us up to the lake at the end of the month so she can have surprise birthday party for my Dad, but I told her you and Rachel might not be able to make it because of all that's going on at the hospital." He explained to her.

Cuddy furrowed her brow at him. "Kevin, even though things are hectic right now at the hospital, there's no way I'm going to pass up meeting your parents face to face after talking to them on the phone during these past few weeks." She assured him without hesitation.

"Are you sure? I don't want to make things more complicated for you then they already are, and we can always plan something with them later." Kevin told her as he placed his hand on her bare knee.

"You make my life _anything_ but complicated, and there's nothing I would rather do then spend every free moment I have with you." Cuddy reassured him with smile, leaning in and giving him a soft kiss while knowing that come hell or high water she was bound and determined to have her little getaway with Kevin and meet the parents of the man she was now hopelessly in love with.


End file.
